As the United States government prepares to possibly indict former President Donald Trump, New York City finds itself bracing for potential civil unrest. In the lead-up to the indictment, Trump has urged his supporters to protest the decision, causing concern for law enforcement and city officials. The possibility of riots and violence has led to increased security measures, including the deployment of National Guard troops and the formation of a task force dedicated to monitoring potential threats. As the city holds its breath, the question remains: will New York City be able to protect its residents and maintain order in the face of political turmoil?
Manhattan courthouse workers erected barricades on Monday in preparation for a possible indictment of former US President Donald Trump. The indictment relates to allegations that he arranged to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. If indicted, this would be the first time a US president has faced a criminal case. Politico reported that a grand jury was expected to indict Trump late on Monday or on Wednesday. However, as of Monday, the grand jury was still collecting evidence before deciding whether charges were warranted.
Lawyer Robert Costello was due to appear before the closed-door panel at the request of Trump’s lawyers, who believe he may provide information that would challenge earlier testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations tied to arranging payments to Daniels and another woman in exchange for their silence about affairs they claimed with Trump. The investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is one of several legal challenges facing Trump. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If indicted, Trump would likely have to travel from his Florida home for fingerprinting and other processing. Law enforcement officials reportedly met on Monday to discuss logistics. Sources have said Bragg’s office was presenting evidence to a grand jury about a $130,000 payment made to Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.
Trump has denied any affairs took place. He raised concerns with law enforcement via social media that supporters might engage in violence similar to the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021. New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that police were monitoring social media and keeping an eye out for “inappropriate actions” in the city. The New York Police Department said there were no known credible threats.
Many Republicans have criticised the investigation as politically motivated. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s rival for the Republican presidential nomination, said on Monday that Bragg was imposing a “political agenda” that compromised the rule of law. However, he also took a veiled swipe at Trump, saying: “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair”.
Trump’s lawyers on Monday asked a Georgia court to quash a special grand jury report detailing its investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 statewide election defeat. The filing in Fulton County Superior Court also seeks to have the county district attorney, Fani Willis, recused from the case, arguing that her media appearances and social media posts demonstrated bias against Trump.
Trump also faces two civil trials involving former magazine columnist E Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump defamed her by denying he raped her. On Monday, a federal judge denied a request from both sides to combine the two cases into one. Legal analysts have said the hush-money case may be more difficult for prosecutors to prove, as Bragg’s office will have to show that Trump intended to commit a crime, and his lawyers are likely to employ a range of counterattacks to try to get the case dismissed.
