Ex-US President Donald Trump expects to be arrested on Tuesday. The former president has said he plans to be arrested on March 21 for an alleged 2016 hush-money payment to a pornstar.
American history has never seen the arrest of a former president who is also considered a potential candidate for the presidency in 2024.
Ex-US President Donald Trump expects to be arrested on Tuesday
The president calls for protests in his usual bombastic style against the “rigged” judicial system.
On social media, Trump, referring to himself, said the “leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week” – without explaining why. Despite Trump’s post, his team did not receive any notifications from prosecutors.
According to his lawyer, law enforcement had not communicated with him, and his post was based on media reports.
Prosecutors are investigating the possibility of indicting Mr. Trump. According to reports, it could happen next week. Bringing a criminal case against a former US president would be the first in history.
What is the Case?
The case centers on alleged hush money Mr. Trump’s lawyer paid to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
Several cases are under investigation, but the 76-year-old has not yet been charged in any of them, and he denies wrongdoing.
It would be a historic first to indict the former president, who is running for reelection in 2024, and change the political landscape quickly.
Even though Donald Trump has an extensive history of civil litigation, a criminal charge would significantly escalate the legal woes that he is facing as he tries to regain power.
Even if he is indicted, Mr. Trump vowed to continue his campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
A conviction could have a similar effect on him as past attempts to investigate him, and impeachment trials, Russia investigations, and the Mar-a-Lago raid have contributed to his popularity.
The possibility of him being criminally charged this week is unknown, nor are the charges, beyond broad strokes, what they might be.
However, given that the former president predicted his arrest and called for mass protests, this is a journey into unknown territory.
There is a loyal following of Mr. Trump, and January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters proves that a fraught situation can quickly become violent.
Several witnesses will be called Monday to testify before the grand jury investigating the hush money payments, a source familiar with the case said. There is no indication whether this would be the final witness before a possible indictment is voted on.
It has been expected that an indictment will occur soon, and the legal team has been preparing behind the scenes.