Donald Trump has said he expects to be arrested on Tuesday and called on supporters to protest, as Manhattan prosecutors continue to investigate allegations that the former president paid hush money to buy a porn star’s silence.
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 an unspecified leak.
He claimed that “no crime” could be proven and that any proceedings against him would be based on “old and thoroughly debunked . . . fairy tales”.
“Resist, take back our nation!” he tweeted.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which is handling the case, declined to comment.
Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has alleged that she had an affair with Trump. The pornographic film actress sued the former president in 2018 to bypass a non-disclosure agreement set shortly before the 2016 election.
Clifford was paid $130,000 by an entity founded by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to charges including campaign finance violations related to the payment.
The actress previously signed a statement saying she was not having an affair with the former president, which Cohen released to the media. Clifford later claimed that she was threatened to keep quiet about the matter. Trump’s representatives have denied having an affair with Clifford.
The former president is facing legal challenges, including an investigation led by a special counsel into possible mishandling of government documents, as well as an investigation into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. Trump denies wrongdoing.
In December, the Trump Organization was convicted of tax fraud in a criminal case pursued by Manhattan prosecutors. In September, New York state attorney-general Letitia James sued Trump and his three grown children for what she described as “extreme” fraud, a case that could generate at least $250mn in fines.
In addition, the congressional committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 last year said that Trump should be prosecuted for aiding the failed attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The committee said he should be charged criminally with obstruction of official government action, conspiracy to defraud the US and knowingly making false statements to authorities.
In February of last year, two of the top prosecutors leading the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation resigned in a move that led some to speculate that the district attorney’s office had taken a step back.
Additional reporting by Joe Miller
