Donald Trump and his top advisers were caught flat-footed by the news of his indictment by the Manhattan grand jury over hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels, having expected no charges until at least the end of April and potentially never at all.
The former president reckoned – along with his aides – that recent reporting about the grand jury taking a break from next week meant prosecutors in the district attorney’s office were reconsidering whether to seek an indictment over the matter.
