As New York City prepares for possible charges against former President Donald Trump, who warned over the weekend that he may be detained as early as Tuesday in connection with a hush-money investigation, barricades have appeared outside the Manhattan Criminal Court.
Workers could be seen stacking steel barricades outside the courthouse and the district attorney’s offices in lower Manhattan after unloading them from a New York Police Department vehicle.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement prepared over the weekend in case the former president was charged with a crime by thinking about security near the Manhattan Criminal Court.
Trump urged his followers to demonstrate after writing on Truth Social that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday in relation to the alleged hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Concerns about how his fans could react to his call have arisen. The violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was the result of the former president’s calls for his base to strike back after he lost the 2020 race for reelection.
READ ALSO: Chris Christie Slams Donald Trump for Calling for ‘Chaotic’ Protests
Lawmakers Denounce Trump’s Call for Protest
In recent days, a number of MPs have offered their opinions on the call for protest. Gary Cohn, once Trump’s economic adviser, and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu both emphasized their wish for peace. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) declared that there is “no reason” at all to object to a possible Trump arrest.
There should be no violence or harm, according to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who made this statement on Sunday. The possibility of an indictment against Trump, according to Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence, is very worrisome, but he added that violence will not be condoned.
The district attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to respond to Trump’s statements regarding the potential arrest. Many people remember the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, in which tens of thousands of Trump supporters destroyed the Capitol in an effort to invalidate the results of the 2020 election.
It’s unclear why Trump predicted he would be detained on Tuesday. According to reports, a grand jury assigned to the matter will hear testimony on Monday from Robert Costello, a lawyer Trump’s associates have asked to testify.
He is rumored to have a testimony that would refute Michael Cohen, a prominent witness, and a former Trump attorney. It is reported that Daniels received a $130,000 payment during the 2016 election cycle in exchange for keeping quiet about an alleged romance she allegedly had with Trump nearly ten years earlier.
According to reports, prosecutors are focusing on whether or not the Trump Organization fabricated records of the incident and whether it amounted to a violation of campaign funding laws.
READ ALSO: Elizabeth Warren Reacts to Trump’s Call for Protest Over Indictment
