Former President Donald Trump spent the weekend firing off all-caps grievances on Truth Social as he expects to be indicted in Manhattan for his role in a hush-money scheme involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Trump claimed on Saturday that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday following a yearslong probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg into the $130,000 payment to Daniels as the 2016 presidential campaign was winding down. Trump's spokesperson, however, said he received no formal notice of indictment from Bragg.
Trump repeatedly targeted Bragg in all-caps missives, accusing the prosecutor of being "racist" against him and criticizing his ties to Democratic megadonor George Soros. Trump repeatedly suggested that Bragg was diverting resources to his investigation instead of addressing what Trump falsely called the "biggest violent crime wave in the history" of New York City. Violent crimes in the city have consistently declined since a pandemic spike that still never came close to the crime rates the city saw under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 1990s.
"I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A RACIST, SOROS BACKED D.A., WHO LETS MURDERERS, RAPISTS, AND DRUG DEALERS WALK FREE, AND WHO HAS PRESIDED OVER THE BIGGEST VIOLENT CRIME WAVE IN THE HISTORY OF NYC, IS USING THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE TO PERSECUTE, INDICT, AND PROSECUTE A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — FOR NO CRIME! THE WITCH HUNT NEVER ENDS, BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" Trump wrote on Sunday.
"IT IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF MANHATTAN WHO IS BREAKING THE LAW BY USING THE FAKE AND FULLY DISCREDITED TESTIMONY (EVEN BY THE SDNY!) OF A CONVICTED LIAR, FELON AND JAILBIRD, MICHAEL COHEN, TO INCREDIBLY PERSECUTE, PROSECUTE, AND INDICT A FORMER PRESIDENT, AND NOW LEADING (BY FAR!) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, FOR A CRIME THAT DOESN'T EXIST," Trump continued. ALVIN BRAGG SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CRIME OF 'INTERFERENCE IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.'"
Trump at one point sought to appeal to officers on the New York Police Department, whose largest union endorsed his presidential bid.
"CAN YOU IMAGINE THE GREAT NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, CORRECTLY REFERRED TO AS 'NEW YORK CITY'S FINEST,' WHO, FOR THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME IN HISTORY, ENDORSED A PRESIDENT, ME, & HONORED ME AS 'MAN OF THE YEAR,' HAVING TO DEFEND & PROTECT THE 'DEFUNDERS' & 'COP HATERS' OF THE RADICAL LEFT THAT WANT TO PUT THEIR GREATEST CHAMPION & FRIEND IN PRISON FOR A CRIME THAT DOESN'T EXIST…ALL THE WHILE THE SOROS BACKED D.A. ALLOWS MURDERERS & OTHER VIOLENT CRIMINALS TO FREELY ROAM THE SIDEWAKS OF N.Y.?" Trump wrote.
Trump, who is under a Justice Department investigation for his role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, also called for his supporters to protest his expected arrest.
"IT'S TIME!!!" he wrote. "WE ARE A NATION IN STEEP DECLINE, BEING LED INTO WORLD WAR III BY A CROOKED POLITICIAN WHO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HE'S ALIVE, BUT WHO IS SURROUNDED BY EVIL & SINISTER PEOPLE WHO, BASED ON THEIR ACTIONS ON DEFUNDING THE POLICE, DESTROYING OUR MILITARY, OPEN BORDERS, NO VOTER I.D., INFLATION, RAISING TAXES, & MUCH MORE, CAN ONLY HATE OUR NOW FAILING USA. WE JUST CAN'T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY'RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!"
Trump during another rant claimed that "radical left anarchists" stole his election and were holding "American patriots" in "captivity like animals," likely referring to supporters charged with the attack on Congress.
"NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!" Trump wrote.
Bragg, undeterred by Trump's tirade, wrote in an email to his staff on Saturday that his office will "not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York," per CNN.
Bragg also said that his office was working closely with the NYPD to "ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment."
He added that the DA's office would "continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate."
