Former President Donald Trump on Thursday pushed back on calls from his own allies for his supporters to remain "peaceful" if they protest his possible indictment in Manhattan.
Trump on Saturday declared that he expected to be arrested by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday in connection to the 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. There was no arrest nor large protest on Tuesday and the grand jury hearing the case has delayed a potential vote on a possible indictment in the case until next week.
Trump on Truth Social lashed out at Bragg in an all-caps tweet, calling the prosecutor an "animal."
"WHY WON'T BRAGG DROP THIS CASE? EVERYBODY SAYS THERE IS NO CRIME HERE. I DID NOTHING WRONG! IT WAS ALL MADE UP BY A CONVICTED NUT JOB WITH ZERO CREDIBILITY, WHO HAS BEEN DISPUTED BY HIGHLY RESPECTED PROFESSIONALS AT EVERY TURN. BRAGG REFUSES TO STOP DESPITE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY," he wrote.
"HE IS A SOROS BACKED ANIMAL WHO JUST DOESN'T CARE ABOUT RIGHT OR WRONG NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HURT," the post continued. "THIS IS NO LEGAL SYSTEM, THIS IS THE GESTAPO, THIS IS RUSSIA AND CHINA, BUT WORSE. DISGRACEFUL!"
About 16 minutes later, Trump published another post pushing back on calls for his supporters to remain peaceful.
"EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M 100% INNOCENT, INCLUDING BRAGG, BUT HE DOESN'T CARE. HE IS JUST CARRYING OUT THE PLANS OF THE RADICAL LEFT LUNATICS. OUR COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED, AS THEY TELL US TO BE PEACEFUL!" he wrote.
Trump's comment appears to be a rebuke of allies who called for his supporters to remain peaceful in the wake of the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including from former attorney Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and even conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
"It sure looks like Donald Trump is calling for violence if he gets indicted," the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington warned on Twitter.
It sure looks like Donald Trump is calling for violence if he gets indicted pic.twitter.com/x4Hnwt5oQV
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 23, 2023
"Trump is now explicitly rejecting the idea that his supporters should be 'peaceful' as he prepares to be indicted," Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett tweeted, tagging the Justice Department's account. "Another incitement of violence."
Trump is now explicitly rejecting the idea that his supporters should be “peaceful” as he prepares to be indicted.
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) March 23, 2023
Another incitement of violence.
Cc: @TheJusticeDept pic.twitter.com/gar055yJkV
