Friends and foes alike are prepared for Donald Trump’s indictment and arrest, and everyone is bracing for the consequences, which are expected to spark protests and possibly worse.
As the prospect of an indictment and even arrest grew closer, Trump increased his vitriol.
He took to his Truth Social account and shared a photo of himself swinging a bat at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s head.
He reportedly stated that his impending arrest would result in “death and destruction.”
“What kind of person charges another person,” Trump wrote, “in this case a former President of the United States, who received more votes than any sitting President in history, and who is the leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a crime?”
He continued by labeling Bragg a “degenerate psychopath.”
As an indictment looms and memes of Trump’s arrest created by artificial intelligence circulated the internet, some of the ex-president’s former allies have distanced themselves.
The New York Post, owned by one-time Trump supporter Rupert Murdoch, published an editorial denouncing the demagogue.
“This is Donald Trump,” the newspaper’s editorial determined.
“He hasn’t changed in the slightest. There is no shame,” the Post wrote.
“After riling up rioters, cheering for a coup, and agreeing that his vice president needed to be hanged, he’s back to making violent threats against fellow Americans.”
Trump falsely predicted that New York authorities had planned to arrest him by March 21.
That didn’t happen, and Bragg’s office said Trump simply misled the public about an imminent arrest.
“We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law,” Bragg said through a spokesperson.
Bragg, 49, maintained that no one is above the law, and everyone receives equal treatment.
“In every prosecution, we follow the law without fear or favor to uncover the truth,” his statement continued.
“Our skilled, honest, and dedicated lawyers remain hard at work.”
Trump’s social media attack on Bragg could reveal the frustrations and even the concern he might possess over all the legal problems he currently faces.
Bragg’s case, in which the former President allegedly paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and committed campaign finance crimes, is just the tip of the iceberg for the bombastic Trump.
Most legal experts believe Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis might have a more serious case.
A special grand jury disbanded in January after reportedly recommending charges that include obstruction, bribery, and interfering with a presidential election.
Additionally, a Special Counsel’s investigation into Trump allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Florida home has amped up with a federal judge ordering the former President’s lawyer to testify.
Finally, the Congressional committee that investigated the January 6 insurrection has recommended serious charges against Trump to the U.S. Department of Justice. Those charges could include treason.
“It would be a travesty of justice,” Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson said if Trump isn’t prosecuted by federal authorities for his role in the insurrection.
“Nobody is above the law, not even the President of the United States,” said Thompson, who chaired the commission.
“What we saw after interviewing more than 1,000 people – the majority of whom identify with the Republican Party – we are convinced that whatever happened, happened because of one person. So, we are clear in our recommendation.”