Trump's Grand Jury Delay Is Not a Victory for Him

A legal expert has warned not to "fall into the narrative trap" laid by Donald Trump that breaks in proceedings in the New York grand jury investigation is a positive sign for the former president.

The Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence on the former president's alleged hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels is to go on a scheduled hiatus on April 5 until later that month, according to several outlets including Politico and CNN.

The planned break comes after the grand jury did not meet on Wednesday, the second time proceedings have been canceled in a week, with reports suggesting they would hear about a matter separate from the Daniels hush money case on Thursday.

The grand jury in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation of the former president meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with delays in proceedings not unusual; delays could be unrelated to the investigation, such as a juror falling ill.

However, all eyes have been on the grand jury and its moves after Trump claimed that he would be arrested on Tuesday, March 21, in connection to the probe, while calling on his supporters to protest. It was only Trump who made the claim of his apparently forthcoming arrest and was not supported by prosecutors or Trump's own legal team.

The delays and cancellations in the grand jury's schedule have sparked speculation about what it means for the case and any possibly historic indictment.

Ambrosio Rodriguez, attorney and former senior deputy district attorney in Southern California, said reports that the grand jury is taking a break through most of April shows that "patience and caution is the order of the day with these types of proceedings," especially as the result could be the first-ever criminal indictment of a U.S. president.

Rodriguez said that as the grand jury's work is behind closed doors and an "information black hole," people should be wary of drawing conclusions about the significance of a previously scheduled break in proceedings.

"There are no tea leaves to read because many factors could influence the grand jury's actions, and all of them could have nothing to do with the case," Rodriquez told Newsweek.

"For instance, the schedules of potential witnesses, the attorneys, and even the personal needs of the grand jurors themselves could impact the proceedings.

"We should not fall into the narrative trap that an indictment was imminent, but that because of Trump's bombast and criticism from Republicans that the grand jury will not be handing down an indictment. We don't know that. Instead, we should allow the case to unfold and see where it ultimately leads."

Trump himself appeared to suggest that delays in the grand jury proceedings could mean that there will be no indictment vote against him.

"I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE," Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday.

"THE EVIDENCE IS SO OVERWHELMING IN MY FAVOR, & SO RIDICULOUSLY BAD FOR THE HIGHLY PARTISAN & HATEFUL DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THAT THE GRAND JURY IS SAYING, HOLD ON, WE ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP, WHICH MOST GRAND JURIES ARE BRANDED AS BEING, WE ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE AGAINST A PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE OR AGAINST LARGE NUMBERS OF LEGAL SCHOLARS ALL SAYING THERE IS NO CASE HERE. DROP THIS SICK WITCH HUNT, NOW!"

Rodriguez noted that it was Trump himself who "generated the media frenzy" that an indictment could happen any day now with his protest calls, with no other indications that a decision was due.

"Trump handled the politics of this criminal investigation beautifully, in terms of energizing his supporters and making it clear that any effort to charge him will create a volatile situation," Rodriguez said. "But as a legal matter, there was very little aside from Trump's bluster to give us a sign that an indictment was imminent."

Speaking to Newsmax on Tuesday, one week from the day the former president claimed he would be arrested, Trump attorney Lindsey Halligan suggested that Bragg's investigation was "dead."

Trump, who denies all the allegations, is being investigated in connection to the $130,000 paid to Daniels to keep an alleged affair the pair had a secret ahead of the 2016 elections, which prosecutors claim amounted to a campaign violation. Trump also denies having an affair with Daniels in 2006.

The Manhattan grand jury will sit until no later than June.

Newsweek has reached out to Trump's office for comment via email.