Former US President Donald J. Trump, who is facing possible indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, declared on his social media site that he would be arrested on Tuesday and called on his supporters to protest on his behalf.
The post was made on his site, Truth Social, on Saturday, and read, “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”
However, two hours later, a spokesman issued a statement clarifying that Mr. Trump had not written his post with direct knowledge of the timing of any arrest. A lawyer for Trump, Susan R. Necheles, claimed that the post was based on news reports, and accused the Manhattan district attorney’s office of conducting a “political prosecution.”
Prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, have signaled that an indictment of Trump could be imminent. Still, they have not informed Trump’s lawyers when the charges would be sought or when an arrest would be made. People with knowledge of the matter said that at least one more witness is expected to testify in front of the grand jury, which could delay an indictment.
Trump’s post urging his supporters to protest and reclaim the nation has raised concerns about a possible repeat of the violence that occurred on January 6, 2021, when supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Investigators later determined that far-right extremist groups, as well as ordinary Trump supporters, had read Trump’s tweets as a clear-cut invitation to the event.
