Donald Trump said he expected to be arrested on Tuesday and called on his supporters to protest, as Manhattan prosecutors continue to investigate allegations that the ex-president paid cash to buy the silence of a porn star.
Trump, who is campaigning as the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that he “will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,” citing unspecified leaks.
He claimed that “no crime” could be proven and that any action against him would be “based on an ancient and fully debunked . . . fairy tale”.
“PROTEST, TAKE BACK OUR NATION!” He tweeted.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which is believed to be handling the case, declined to comment.
Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, claimed to have had an affair with Trump. The pornographic actress sued the ex-president in 2018 for circumventing a non-disclosure agreement put in place shortly before the 2016 election.
Clifford was paid $130,000 through an entity created by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney. Cohen was sentenced in 2018 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges that included payment-related campaign finance violations.
The actress previously signed a statement saying she was not having an affair with the former president, which was presented to the media by Cohen. Clifford later claimed she had been threatened to keep her quiet on the matter. Trump’s representatives have denied having an affair with Clifford.
The former president faces a series of legal challenges, including an investigation into possible mishandling of government records, led by a special counsel, as well as an investigation into his efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. Trump denies wrongdoing.
In December, the Trump Organization was found guilty of tax evasion in a criminal case being prosecuted by Manhattan prosecutors. In September, New York State Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and three of his adult children for what she described as “exceptional” fraud, a case that could result in penalties of at least minus $250 million.
Additionally, a congressional committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 last year, said Trump should be prosecuted for aiding in the failure of efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He is also expected to face criminal charges of obstructing official government process, conspiring to defraud the United States and knowingly making false statements to authorities, the committee said.
In February last year, the two main prosecutors leading the Manhattan District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation resigned, leading some to speculate at the time that the district attorney’s office had taken a step back.
Additional reporting by Joe Miller
