Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he expects to be arrested on Tuesday as New York prosecutors consider charges over a hush money payment to a porn star, and called for protests from his supporters as New York law enforcement prepares for a possible indictment.
Trump declared in a social media post on Saturday, March 18, Trump, referring to himself, said the ‘leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week.’
‘Protest, take our nation back,’ he wrote on Truth Social.
‘IT’S TIME!!!’ he wrote. ‘WE JUST CAN’T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA!PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!’
Though he did not say why he expects to be arrested. His team said after Trump’s post that it had not received any notifications from prosecutors.
His legal team has been anticipating that it will happen soon and has been preparing behind the scenes for the next steps.
According to reports there have been several meetings between New York city, state and federal law enforcement agencies about how to prepare for a possible indictment of Trump.
Trump is expected to present himself in Manhattan following the formal charges and has expressed interest in making a speech, according to the Washington Post.
His call for a protest in response to a potential arrest is similar his final days in office when he repeatedly urged his supporters to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election, culminating in the deadly January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Trump’s US Secret Service detail would deliver him to the Manhattan district attorney’s office for fingerprinting and then taking mugshots in offices of the district attorney’s detective squad.
As is customary in cases where a defendant is allowed to voluntarily surrender, after arrest processing, the former president would be brought directly to an arraignment before a judge where he will be released.
It is unclear whether Trump’s supporters would heed his protest call or if he retains the same persuasive power he held as president.
While Trump’s posts on Truth Social generally receive far less attention than he used to get on Twitter, but he nevertheless maintains a deeply loyal base.
