Leading Republicans said on Sunday (19) that there is a political “persecution” against Donald Trump, who could become the first former US president to be prosecuted, while Democrats warned that the tycoon’s call for protests could result in chaos similar to that of the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
Trump said on Saturday he would be “arrested” on Tuesday over an investigation into a secret payment he allegedly made in 2016 to porn star Stormy Daniels, allegedly to prevent her from disclosing a sexual affair.
He also called on his followers to “save the nation” and come out to “protest”.
Today, he said on his social network Truth Social that he is the target of a “witch hunt” and regretted that a prosecutor who acted “during the greatest wave of violent crimes in New York history” could “harass, accuse and bring to trial a former President of the United States”.
Even Trump’s potential rivals in the 2024 presidential race reacted with outrage, and several leaders defended the right to peaceful protests should the indictment come to fruition.
“I am taken aback by the idea of prosecuting a former president of the United States at a time when there is a crime wave in New York City,” former Trump vice president Mike Pence said on ABC.
“It appears that this is a politically motivated judgment,” he added.
– “Destroy Trump” –
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has not confirmed any plans for a formal charge against the former president (2017-2021).
However, there are signs pointing to an early conclusion of the investigation process conducted by a grand jury, such as the recent appearances of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.
The unprecedented prospect of a former president being arrested has ignited passions and injected uncertainty into the 2024 campaign.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter of the former president, called the possible indictment “an ongoing, never-ending effort to destroy Donald Trump and all things Donald Trump.”
Even New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, an outspoken critic of Trump and a potential challenger in the Republican nomination, has suggested that an indictment could generate a strong backlash.
“I think it’s generating a lot of sympathy for the former president,” he told CNN on Sunday. “It will be a circus.”
On Saturday, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy accused New York prosecutors of “abuse of power” and seeking “political revenge” against Trump.
But for Democrats, Trump’s call to protest could result in violence, like that which occurred when thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol, seat of Congress, on January 6, 2021 to prevent the certification of the victory of his Democratic rival. , Joe Biden.
Nancy Pelosi, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives until recently, denounced Trump’s announcement as “reckless” and said it “would spur unrest among his supporters.”
As law enforcement agencies braced for potential protests outside his office, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg assured Saturday in an internal message to employees that he would not tolerate intimidation or threats against him, according to NBC.
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