New York City is ready for potential chaos if and when former President Donald Trump gets indicted, Mayor Adams said in an interview aired Sunday.
“We’re always ready,” he said on PIX11, repeating the message he’s made since Trump declared earlier this month that he expected to be indicted.
“The NYPD does an amazing job of just really dealing with any type of incident that takes place in the city,” Adams added.
Trump set off a furor on March 18, saying he would be indicted the following Tuesday.
The day came and went with no indictment, but the city remains on edge, with unfounded bomb threats called in against local authorities last week. On Friday, lower Manhattan courthouses were sent into a frenzy when white powder was found in an envelope marked “Alvin” with a return address for “Donald Trump.” The threat was found to be bogus.
The grand jury that is weighing the possible indictment against Trump is set to meet Monday, the Daily News previously reported.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is widely believed to be pursuing charges related to Trump’s hush money deal with porn star Stormy Daniels.
Adams shied away from playing the political parlor game on the wisdom of Bragg’s case, which comes after federal and state authorities decided not to prosecute Trump over the Daniels payment.
“I think DA Bragg is going to make the final determination,” the mayor said. “We have not heard yea or nay. We’re just going to be ready, whatever happens.”
The NYPD has stepped up security for protests while scouring social media for threats, The News reported last week. Demos to date have been small, taking place without incident.
Trump, who’s seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on Friday warned of “death and destruction” if he’s indicted.
His statement on his Truth Social site — with its echoes of his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results — drew strong condemnation from Democrats.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., echoed the criticism on Sunday, calling Trump’s statement “outrageous.”
“This man obviously has very little moral compass, and if he spurs on additional violence it would be one further stain on his already-checkered reputation,” Warner told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The feds haven’t uncovered specific threats related to the potential indictment, the senator said, citing FBI briefings.
“They’ve seen no specific strains, but the level of rhetoric on some of these rightwing sites has increased,” Warner said.
Last week, the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee said Bragg’s probe was part of a political conspiracy and Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, called on the prosecutor to testify voluntarily.
The statements drew a strong rebuke from the DA, who insisted the indictment would be lawful, but GOP leaders kept up the drumbeat through the weekend.
“We’re sick and tired of meddling in federal elections,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told “State of the Union.”
“I don’t believe that Bragg would be doing this if Donald Trump were not running for president,” he added.
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