Donald Trump's Call for Protests Over Arrest Backfires Spectacularly

Donald Trump's calls for his supporters to protest his potential arrest have backfired as clips of those wishing to see him found guilty have gone viral on social media.

Over the weekend, writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he would be arrested on Tuesday, March 21.

According to media reports, the former president is likely to be indicted as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

While there is no official word or timeline for his potential indictment or arrest, it is unclear why Trump gave Tuesday as the date it would happen. Hours after his post, a spokesperson for Trump issued a statement saying Trump did not write his post with any direct knowledge of the time of any arrest.

Trump's post, predicting his arrest on Tuesday, dismissed his possible legal troubles and called for his supporters to protest and "take our nation back".

In a follow up post on the same day, he said: "WE JUST CAN'T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY'RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA!PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!"

And so people responded to his rallying cry, just not in the way he likely intended. One video, which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times, shows people calling for Trump's arrest outside Trump Tower.

Many of his critics were seen with signs and banners that called Trump guilty and a liar, and insisting that no one was above the law.

A rival group of Trump supporters was also seen outside his building. Trump shared these pictures to his Truth Social page.

His supporters stood with American flags and banners that claimed Trump won the 2020 Presidential election.

According to a report by TIME, the pro-Trump demonstration outside the Manhattan court, where Trump would be arraigned, was organized by the New York Young Republican Club and was made up of about 50 people.

The report said many of Trump's supporters have grown skeptical about demonstrations for the President after the results of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Highlighting comments from pro-Trump supporters speaking in Telegram groups, some individuals argued Trump did not do enough to support those who were prosecuted for their actions on January 6, 2021, and has since lost their trust.

Another remarked that Trump should have called for protests for those prosecuted over January 6, rather than when he alone faces legal action.

Newsweek has contacted Donald Trump's Office by email for comment.