🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Former President Donald Trump has warned about the potential of "death and destruction" should he be charged as part of the Stormy Daniels hush money investigation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump denied any wrongdoing while hitting out at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg amid strong indications that a potential historic arrest is forthcoming.
Last weekend, Trump called on his supporters to protest his apparently upcoming arrest, which he claimed was due to take place on Tuesday, March 21. The arrest never occurred, but Democrats accused the former president of attempting to rile up his supporters to carry out violence should he be arraigned in New York.
Trump has alluded to violence again in another social media post as a grand jury that has been hearing evidence as part of Bragg's investigation is expected to vote on whether to indict the former president sometime next week.
"What kind of person can charge another person, in this case a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?" Trump wrote.
"Why & who would do such a thing? Only a degenerate psychopath that truly hates the USA!" he said.
In a separate Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump suggested that there could be "years of hatred, chaos, and turmoil" if he is arrested as part of Bragg's probe.
Barricades were placed outside the Manhattan Criminal Court Monday morning as a precaution following Trump's previous calls for his supporters to protest on Tuesday.
Police and other officials in New York have also been preparing how to react should Trump voluntarily hand himself in to the authorities following an indictment, including shutting down streets and deploying extra police officers in the city.
Bragg previously emailed his employees to state that authorities will not "tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York" following Trump's protest call.
Trump has frequently attacked Bragg and his investigation amid suggestions the former president is due to be indicted over allegations the $130,000 he arranged his former attorney Michael Cohen to pay Daniels to keep an alleged affair the adult film star and Trump had secret before the 2016 election amounted to a campaign violation.
Prosecutors are also looking into whether The Trump Organization falsified any records when Cohen was reimbursed for the money, which was listed by the company as legal fees.
In a further social media post on Thursday, Trump accused Bragg of being a "Soros backed animal"—an often cited line of attack from Republicans about the Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros, which critics argue is an antisemitic dog whistle.
"THIS IS NO LEGAL SYSTEM, THIS IS THE GESTAPO, THIS IS RUSSIA AND CHINA, BUT WORSE. DISGRACEFUL," Trump added.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has been contacted for comment via email.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more