No president in history has been prosecuted after leaving office, but Former President Donald Trump says that is about to change.
He wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, that he will be arrested on Tuesday over claims he paid former porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged relationship between them. Six years ago, Trump’s lawyers were rumored to have paid Daniels to stay mum about the affair, and New York prosecutors considered charging him at the time. Now, he says the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will arrest and charge him on Tuesday over these allegations.
“Now illegal leaks from a corrupt & highly political Manhattan district attorneys office, which has allowed new records to be set in violent crime & whose leader is funded by George Soros, indicate that, with no crime being able to be proven, & based on an old & fully debunked (by numerous other prosecutors!) fairytale, the far & away leading Republican candidate & former president of the United States of America, will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Protest, take our nation back!”
Trump’s campaign also released another in many fundraising pitches he has made for his campaign over the past many weeks. He is using the pending possible arrest of himself as a message to supporters to pitch in.
“With the Deep State gunning for us like never before, President Trump is counting on your sustained support to DEFEND our movement from these never-ending witch hunts. Please make a contribution of any amount to help FIGHT BACK against the radical Left’s endless attacks, vile lies, and phony witch hunts – for 1,200% impact,” his fundraising pitch said.
A spokeswoman for District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office told AP that the office “will decline to confirm or comment” any queries about Trump’s legal situation. Bragg is a Democrat and the position he holds is an elected office.
“This is what they do in communist countries,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told the Washington Examiner on Saturday.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote: “No matter what the Grand Jury decides, its consideration makes it clear: no one is above the law, not even a former President of the United States. The former president’s announcement this morning is reckless: doing so to keep himself in the news & foment unrest among his supporters. He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence. Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable.”
On Twitter, Elon Musk wrote: “If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory.”
