What you should know
- Donald Trump affirmed Saturday that his arrest is imminent and issued an extraordinary call for his supporters to protest as a New York grand jury investigates alleged secret money payments to an adult film actress.
- District Attorney Alvin Bragg is believed to be considering charges in the hush money investigation and recently offered Trump the chance to testify before a jury. The former president declined.
- Trump’s aides and legal team have been preparing for the possibility of an impeachment. If that happened, he would be arrested only if he refused to turn himself in.
NEW YORK — New York Police officers of all ranks have been ordered to wear their uniforms and prepare for a deployment beginning Tuesday, according to an internal memo obtained by sister network NBC 4. This while agencies Law enforcement officials at all levels of government are beefing up security plans ahead of a possible indictment of Donald Trump in Manhattan criminal court this week.
The memo, sent by the commanding officer of the NYPD operations division, instructed all members of the uniformed service to observe public disorder etiquette and be prepared for mobilization at any time while are on duty.
It comes days after former President Donald Trump told supporters he expected to be arrested Tuesday in connection with a Manhattan jury investigation into money paid to silence women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president.
The 2024 Republican presidential candidate called on his base to “PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST,” evoking rhetoric similar to the one he used shortly before the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
FEW PROTESTS IN NEW YORK CITY
Yet as the world awaited a possible decision from the Manhattan criminal court, the early protests seemed largely sparse.
Aside from a modest protest scheduled for Tuesday at Trump Tower heading to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and a separate small caravan of pro-Trump cars heading from Long Island to Lower Manhattan, security officials said they were not aware of any developments that could change the dynamics in the city until at least Wednesday.
Agents erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday. Those are likely two of what law enforcement officials say are multiple high-profile locations that the NYPD will cover this week as needed.
The Young Republican Club of New York organized a protest rally in Lower Manhattan on Monday, and while a couple dozen Trump supporters in red MAGA hats turned out, it was a more subdued affair steps from the courthouse.
Alfredo Acosta with the latest.
“We weren’t sure if we wanted to come out because obviously some people don’t like us. We’re here to show that there is support for President Trump in the bluest part of the country,” said Gavin Wax of the Republican Youth Club.
A few inflammatory but isolated posts also surfaced on fringe social media platforms from supporters calling for an armed confrontation with law enforcement at Trump’s Florida property, but no organized action has emerged so far.
The Police Department, Secret Service, court officials and the FBI continue to meet to discuss security.
As of Monday night, there were no plans or requests for Trump, who has been at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, to travel to the city this week, according to multiple sources.
ALL EYES ON THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY
District Attorney Alvin Bragg is believed to be considering charges in the hush money investigation, and recently offered Trump the chance to testify before a jury, which the former president declined. Local police prepare for the public safety ramifications of an unprecedented prosecution of a former US president.
A criminal investigation is looking into payments made in 2016 to women who alleged they had sex with former President Donald Trump.
Officials stress that the interagency talks and planning are preemptive in nature because no charges have been filed. Agencies involved include the NYPD, New York state court officials, the US Secret Service, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, authorities say. .
Trump’s aides and legal team have been preparing for the possibility of an impeachment. If that happened, he would be arrested only if he refused to turn himself in. Trump’s lawyers previously said he would follow normal procedure, meaning he would likely agree to turn himself in at an NYPD station or directly at Bragg’s office.
The former president has not been charged with any crime and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
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