Former US President Donald Trump has recently called on his supporters to demonstrate in his favour after claiming that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday. This announcement comes in the midst of an ongoing investigation into an alleged payment of $130,000 made to actress Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been investigating this case for almost five years, with a focus on the falsification of business records related to the reimbursement of the payment made to Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who said he advanced the money to Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair.
Despite these allegations, Trump persists in calling on his supporters to take to the streets in his defence. However, the head of the New York Attorney’s Office, Alvin Bragg, has attempted to downplay the potential impact of Trump’s protest, emphasizing that the office will not be intimidated. In an email to officials on Saturday, Bragg stated that “We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York. Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be investigated and that appropriate safeguards are in place”.
This statement from the prosecutor comes as a response to Trump’s call for demonstrations, which has been met with concern from the White House. Officials have indicated that they are monitoring any action that occurs as a result of the former president’s statements, with one spokesperson stating that “We always control the situation as best we can. And obviously we don’t want there to be violence, certainly not to the extreme of what we saw on January 6th, 2021”.
As the investigation into Trump’s alleged misconduct continues, it remains to be seen whether his supporters will mobilize in his defence. In the meantime, however, officials are working to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and that any attempts to intimidate or threaten the legal system are met with immediate action.
