Donald Trump Warns Of 'Death And Destruction' If He's Charged In Bribery Case
Just last weekend, Trump told his followers on Truth Social that he was likely to be arrested. He called on his supporters to, in all caps, "Protest, take our nation back!" The former president has also been attacking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, 49, on social media, calling for his "removal" from his position and claiming that the probe is politically motivated. There is no evidence to support Trump's claims.
Now, his Friday, March 24, post on Truth Social is an even more explicit call for riots and violence. Many are comparing his rhetoric to the events that led up to the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters in 2021. Trump wrote on Truth Social, "What kind of person can charge another person, in this case, a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death [and] destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country? Why [and] who would do such a thing? Only a degenerate psychopath that truly [sic] hates the USA!"
Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, 56, is a witness for the DA's investigation. Cohen asserts that Trump told him to pay Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence over an alleged affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The former president has repeatedly denied a relationship with the adult film star. Specifically, Bragg is looking into whether Trump falsified business records when he reported $130,000 in reimbursing payments for Cohen as a legal expense.
In another post to Truth Social, Trump refuses to remain calm, "Our country is being destroyed, as they tell us to be peaceful!" he wrote in all caps. Small crowds of Trump's supporters showed up to protest the DA's actions. On Friday, both the FBI and NYPD were investigating a death threat sent to Bragg with an unknown white powder. Allies of Trump have voiced support for him throughout his trial. Rudy Giuliani even said that Trump's indictment is "the kind of thing that ends a civilization."
A Justice Depart special counsel is also investigating Trump's actions relating to the January 6 Capitol attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. The former president used violence-inciting rhetoric to fire up his fanbase, writing in a social media post, "Be there, will be wild!" Five people died during and after the attack on the Capitol. More than 100 police officers were injured by Trump's supporters.
Democrats hold Trump accountable for the violence. They accuse the former president of inciting the riot to prevent Joe Biden's presidential victory in the 2020 election from being certified. Trump is now claiming that the violence of the insurrection is his former vice president, Mike Pence's fault. The U.S. Capitol Police are now taking safety precautions to prepare for protests because of Trump's potential indictment.