Donald Trump says he expects to be arrested on Tuesday, calls for protest

By Tony Czuczka

Former President Donald Trump said he’s bracing to be arrested on March 21 in a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, citing unspecified leaks in the investigation, and called for protest to “take our nation back.”

Trump paired his comments in an all-caps post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday with a renewed verbal attack on investigators, who he said are pursuing a “fairytale” that has been debunked.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been convened a state grand jury into of a hush-money payment Trump allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public before the 2016 election about an alleged decade-old sexual encounter.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and called Bragg’s investigation “a political witch hunt.”

Joseph Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, didn’t immediately return voicemail and email messages seeking comment about Trump’s statement. A spokesman for Bragg declined to comment.

Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen completed his testimony before the grand jury on Wednesday. Cohen would be a crucial witness for prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty to federal fraud and campaign finance charges in 2018, admitting that he arranged illegal hush-money payments to Daniels. Cohen said he paid Daniels $130,000 and was reimbursed. He showed a congressional committee a check for the amount signed by Trump. He said he acted at the direction of Trump.