Donald Trump, a former President of the United States, said on Saturday that he expects to be arrested in connection with the investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney next week and has urged his supporters to stage protests on his behalf.
Trump, making the observation in a social media post on Saturday, referred to himself as 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 urged, in his post.
CNN, reporting on the matter, said while Trump did not provide details on why he expects to be indicted, his legal team has been anticipating that it will happen soon and has been preparing behind the scenes for the next steps.
Trump has reportedly complained privately that he believes he is only going to be indicted because he thinks “hates him,” according to a source familiar with what Trump has said.
The case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arose from allegations that hush money was paid on Trump’s behalf to ex-porn actress Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election in order to cover up an affair.
Ms Daniels claimed she and Trump had sex, and that she accepted $130,000 from his then lawyer Michael Cohen in exchange for her silence on the encounter.
Cohen, was later jailed on multiple charges in relation to that issue.
Trump is under investigation in relation to several other matters, including the January 6 (2021) insurrection at the US Capitol, his alleged attempts to overturn the legitimate result of the 2020 Presidential Election in the state of Georgia, and concerning his handling of classified documents, taken from the White House at the end of his presidential term to his private residence, Mar-a-Largo, in Florida.
SOURCES: CNN, BBC
