Donald Trump says he may be arrested, asks his supporters to protest; rivals and allies come to his defence

Former U.S. President Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social that he anticipates being arrested on Tuesday. Following years of investigations into his business, political, and personal connections, his indictment would be a significant development.

A New York prosecutor is considering charges in a case probing hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who allegedly had sexual relation with the former president.

Trump gave no information that suggested he was directly informed of a forthcoming arrest and did not say how he knew about it. He remarked in a post on Truth Social that he anticipates being arrested on Tuesday, even though his attorney and spokesperson said that prosecutors had not contacted them.

His post looked like there was a formal announcement from prosecutors and it seemed targeted to generate fury from his supporters ahead of the widely anticipated charges. Within hours, his campaign began issuing financial appeals to his supporters, and he was defended by powerful Republicans in Congress as well and potential rivals too.

The 2024 presidential contender aimed his ire in all capital letters at the Biden administration in a later post that went beyond merely urging supporters to protest. He also hinted at the possibility of civil disturbance. "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!!!"

This suggests his statements just before the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Following a speech by the then-president that morning at a rally in Washington, D.C., his supporters marched to the Capitol and attempted to obstruct congressional certification of Democrat Biden's White House victory by smashing through doors and windows and beating security guards.

Trump was recently given the opportunity to testify before the grand jury by district attorney Alvin Bragg, who is rumoured to be considering filing charges in the hush money investigation. Law enforcement officials in the area are preparing for the effects of an unprecedented prosecution of a former U.S. president on public safety.

However, there has been no mention in the media of any deadline for the grand jury's ongoing investigation. According to a person acquainted with the inquiry who was not permitted to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, at least one more witness is anticipated to appear, further indicating that no vote to indict has yet been taken.

That did not stop Trump from taking to his social media platform and say, "illegal leaks" from Bragg's office indicate that "THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK."

Although the source of Trump's Tuesday reference was unknown, a Trump lawyer, Susan Necheles, claimed that Trump's post was "based on the media reporting," and a spokesman claimed that there had been "no notification" from Bragg's office. Office of the District Attorney declined to comment.

A possible indictment has been anticipated by Trump's advisors and legal counsel. His attorneys have previously stated that he would adhere to standard protocol, thus he is likely to consent to turning himself in at a station of the New York Police Department or straight to Bragg's office.

It is not known if Trump's supporters will heed his call for a demonstration. The former president's posts on Truth Social typically attract far less attention than they did on Twitter, but he still has a sizeable following. It's possible that the fallout from the Jan. 6 incident, in which hundreds of Trump supporters were detained and charged in federal court, diminished the fervour for conflict among followers.

There is no doubt that an indictment would be a distraction and provide material for opponents and haters weary of the legal scandals that have long surrounded Trump. Even as he pursues his most recent White House bid — his first rally is scheduled for Waco, Texas, later this month. Trump shook hands and took selfies with supporters during a public appearance Saturday evening at the NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma — there is no doubt that it would be detrimental.

Trump is also under criminal investigation in Atlanta and Washington for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, in addition to the New York hush money investigation.

Furthermore, a grand jury is hearing testimony from a Justice Department special counsel who is looking into whether Trump had hundreds of top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Regardless of what transpires in New York, those investigations will continue. This highlights the ongoing importance - and global reach - of the legal challenges the former president is currently facing. It is unclear when they will conclude or whether they will lead to criminal prosecutions.

Trump's Saturday's post is like the one he published last summer on Truth Social, when he announced that the FBI was searching his Florida residence as part of a probe into classified document handling.

In response to the torrent of donations that the news of that search triggered, Trump's campaign received a series of fundraising emails from his supporters on Saturday, one of which stated, "I'm not scared in the slightest."

Following his post, Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy blasted any prosecution of Trump as "outrageous abuse of authority by a radical DA" who was seeking "political retribution." Rep. Elise Stefanik also made a similar comment in a press release.

The grand jury has been listening to testimony from witnesses, including former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who claims to have organised payments to two women in 2016 to keep them silent about alleged sexual encounters they had with Trump 10 years ago.

Trump claims that none of the interactions took place and that he did nothing wrong, and that the probe is a "witch hunt" conducted by a Democratic prosecutor with the intention of undermining his 2024 campaign. Also, Trump has called Black prosecutor Bragg a "racist" and alleged that while the prosecutor concentrated on Trump, crime in the city was allowed to run rampant. One of the safest cities in the nation is still New York.

According to reports, Bragg's office has been looking into if any state laws were broken in relation to the payments or the manner Trump's business paid Cohen for his work to bury the women's claims.

At least two former Trump officials, including former political advisor Kellyanne Conway and former spokesperson Hope Hicks, and Daniels are all charged with obstruction of justice.

According to Cohen, he coordinated payments totalling $280,000 to Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal at Trump's request. Cohen claims that the payments were made to get them to keep quiet about Trump, who was then amid his first campaign for president.

Trump's business allegedly paid Cohen $420,000 as compensation for the $130,000 payment to Daniels as well as to cover bonuses and other alleged expenditures, according to Cohen and federal prosecutors. Internally, the business categorised those payments as legal costs. The then-publisher of the National Enquirer gave McDougal a $150,000 payment to prevent the publication of her story.

In exchange for assistance in a campaign finance investigation that resulted in charges against Cohen in 2018, federal prosecutors agreed not to bring charges against the parent company of the National Enquirer. The payments made to Daniels and McDougal, according to the prosecution, amounted to illegal, unreported contributions to Trump's campaign.

Cohen entered a guilty plea, received jail time, and lost his legal licence. Trump has never faced any criminal charges from federal prosecutors.

Meanwhile, many Republicans jumped to Trump's defence on Saturday after he indicated he was preparing for a possible arrest, including several of his potential opponents for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.