Related Post
(Trends Wide) — Officials in New York and Washington are bracing for possible protests as a grand jury formed as part of the investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged role in a scheme to hush up adult film star Stormy Daniels continues to weigh possible charges.
In New York City, where the grand jury has been meeting, all NYPD officers are expected to be in uniform and ready to deploy on Tuesday, according to an internal memo a source shared with Trends Wide. Law enforcement officials told Trends Wide that although this Tuesday is a “high alert day,” there is currently no credible threat.
The memo came in response to Trump’s social media posts over the weekend calling on his supporters to protest in response to a possible arrest, echoing calls he made to protest in Washington, in response to his 2020 election loss: Protests that later turned violent when dozens of rioters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. While the Washington police are preparing similarly, the US Capitol police force is preparing for the war. “It is not currently tracking any direct or credible threats to the Capitol,” according to a department intelligence assessment obtained Monday by Trends Wide.
A source close to Trump’s legal team told Trends Wide that if Trump is indicted, they don’t expect any arrests or initial appearances before next week. As of Monday night, they had no guidance on the timing of a potential indictment beyond the fact that the Manhattan district attorney’s office had told them nothing was expected Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump greets fans as he arrives before the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship final at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 18, 2023. (Credit: Brett Rojo/USA TODAY / Reuters / File)
An indictment could be filed at any time, and law enforcement officials involved in the discussions have stressed the need to properly prepare for the complex choreography of Trump’s surrender and court appearance. Federal, state and local law enforcement met Monday in New York City to discuss planning, said a senior law enforcement official familiar with the ongoing security discussions.
The impeachment against Trump
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said it is nearing a decision on whether or not to indict former President Donald Trump.
Attorney Robert Costello, at the request of Trump’s legal team, testified for nearly three hours in front of a grand jury Monday in an effort to discredit the testimony of the former president’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, who admitted paying Daniels $130,000 just before of the 2016 elections to prevent him from going public with an alleged affair with the former president.
Cohen made himself available to the district attorney’s office as a rebuttal witness Monday, but “it was not necessary,” according to a statement provided to Trends Wide by his attorney.
Trump, who has denied having an affair with Stormy Daniels and says the investigation of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, is politically motivated, has been campaigning for his team to rile up his base and believes an impeachment it would help him politically, several people briefed on the matter told Trends Wide; the former president privately called the impending development “unfair.”
On Capitol Hill, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan; House Oversight Chairman James Comer and House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil said they intend to investigate whether Bragg and his office used federal public safety funds as part of their grand jury investigation. in an extraordinary move to intervene in the investigation.
A Bragg spokesperson responded by saying that the district attorney’s team “will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we allow baseless allegations to prevent us from applying the law fairly.”
“In every accusation, we follow the law without fear or favor to discover the truth. Our qualified, honest and dedicated attorneys continue to work hard,” the spokesperson continued.
— Trends Wide’s Paula Reid, Shimon Prokupecz, Priscilla Alvarez, Devan Cole, Alex Marquardt and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.
