US prepares for the unthinkable but possible arrest of a former president

Authorities in New York and other cities in the United States are preparing for the unprecedented scenario of the possible arrest of former US president Donald Trump. The former leader of the free world has himself said that he might be arrested. The charges? Alleged payment of USD 130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 as hush money to hide an affair with him. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump has already asked his supporters to protest against his possible arrest. The last time he made such an appeal, hundreds of his supporters had stormed the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

If an indictment is filed against Trump, he would be the first sitting or former US president ever to be charged with a crime. Trump supporters were scheduled to protest in New York later Monday as Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg weighs charging the ex-president

Bragg, an elected Democrat, has not confirmed any plans to indict, but has indicated that prosecutors are nearing a decision by putting key witnesses in front of a grand jury in recent weeks and offering Trump the opportunity to testify.

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"They are MANY years beyond the Statute of Limitations which, in this instance, is TWO YEARS. More importantly, THERE WAS NO CRIME!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Monday.

The New York Times reported that on Sunday, more than a dozen senior New York officials met senior safety aides of city mayor Eric Adams to discuss security and contingency plans for any protests.

NBC News said that police and other law enforcement agencies had conducted "preliminary security assessments," including placing a security perimeter around the Manhattan Criminal Court where Trump would likely appear before a judge.

"The NYPD's state of readiness remains a constant at all times, for all contingencies. Our communications and coordination with our partners in government and in law enforcement are fundamental tenets of our commitment to public safety," a police spokesperson told AFP.

Senior Democrats have warned that Trump's calls could trigger a repeat of the violence that his supporters unleashed on the US Capitol in January 2021.

The New York Young Republican Club announced a "peaceful protest" of Bragg's "heinous attack" on Trump for 6:00 pm (2000 GMT) in lower Manhattan Monday but it was unclear how many would turn out.

Trump has blasted the investigation as a "witch hunt," while his vice-president Mike Pence described the probe as a "politically charged prosecution."

(With inputs from agencies)

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