(New York) Donald Trump assured his Truth Social network on Saturday that he would be “arrested” on Tuesday and called for demonstrations, before a possible indictment in a 2016 payment case aimed at buying the silence of a pornographic actress with whom he allegedly had an affair.
Referring to a “leak” from the New York State prosecutor’s office, for the district of Manhattan, the former US president wrote in capital letters: “The Republican candidate far ahead [his primary rivals, Editor’s note] and former President of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday of next week. Protest, take back our nation! »
Signs and rumors have been mounting for the past few days about a possible criminal indictment of Donald Trump by a grand jury – a panel of citizens with broad investigative powers and responsible for confirming an indictment – in this phase of the investigation. led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democratic magistrate.
It would be a first for a former US president.
On Friday, one of Donald Trump’s lawyers, Joseph Tacopina, told media that his client would “go” to New York justice if he were to be charged.
Targeted in several court cases, but never yet accused, the former Republican president (2017-2021) and presidential candidate of 2024, could therefore see this threat materialize in court in New York, because of a payment in 2016 to a pornstar, Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford.
Last week, Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and now one of his worst enemies, Michael Cohen, testified at least twice before the grand jury in this investigation related to a nondisclosure agreement concerning Mrs. Clifford.
The investigations of New York prosecutors relate to the payment in 2016 of 130,000 dollars by Michael Cohen to the pornographic actress to buy her silence on an alleged relationship she allegedly had with Donald Trump.
Former loyal to the Republican billionaire, Michael Cohen has already been convicted in this case.
Convinced that the 2020 election had been “stolen” from him by Joe Biden, Donald Trump had already called on his supporters to mobilize ahead of January 6, 2021, stoking the political crisis that culminated in his supporters’ assault on the Capitol, where Congress sits.
On December 19, 2020, the ex-businessman had called in a tweet the crowd to gather in the American capital during the certification of the victory of Joe Biden. “Massive demonstration in Washington on January 6th. Be there, it will be crazy, “he wrote on Twitter, his favorite megaphone, before being banned.
The same day, he then called on his supporters, during a speech, to “fight like the devils”.
