Will Donald Trump be arrested today?

Tuesday could be a historic day for the United States as it could mark the day former President Donald Trump will be indicted for allegedly concealing hush money payments to porn stars during his 2016 presidential campaign, nearly seven years after the money turned up. .

If so, Trump will go down in history as the first US president to face criminal charges. The possibility of impeachment could also affect his chances for the 2024 presidential election.

Preparations are underway for the unprecedented situation – barricades have been placed outside the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, security has been tightened in the city. Law enforcement officials are preparing for protests and possible violence after the former president called on his supporters to protest before being charged.

What is the case about?

The possible prosecution of Donald Trump began in 2016 when American porn star Stormy Daniels contacted the media wanting to sell her account of what she said was an affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006.

Trump, who was running for the presidency of the United States that year, heard the news and his team, including his lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels 130,000 dollars (1.07 lakhs) to keep quiet. It is not illegal. The problem is that when Trump paid Cohen, the record said the payment was for legal fees.

Prosecutors say this amounts to Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanor — a felony — in New York. Prosecutors may also argue that it violated election law because she tried to hide the payment from Daniels because she didn’t want voters to know about it. Covering up a crime by falsifying records would be a felony, which is a more serious charge.

However, this is not an easy case to try and previous attempts to accuse politicians of crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have failed. As former New York District Attorney prosecutor Catherine Christian told the BBC: “It’s going to be tough.

When is Trump arrested?

We don’t know if Trump has been arrested for sure. However, there are many reasons to believe that it will happen today. On March 18 (Saturday), Trump himself claimed on his social network, Truth Social, that he would be arrested on Tuesday.

However, his legal team has since suggested the president had no special knowledge of the timing of the arrest.

Right now, the only person who knows whether Trump will be indicted is New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg — he set up a grand jury to investigate whether there was enough evidence to indict, and he’s the only one who knows if — or when — an indictment will be announced.

If Trump is indicted, will he be handcuffed?

If indicted, Trump’s lawyers said the former president’s arrest would follow standard procedure.

That means he could travel from his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida to court in New York, with official bookings, fingerprints and photo ID.

However, Trump is unlikely to make a traditional “normal walk”. Bill Pickle, former special agent in charge of Vice President Al Gore, told Business Insider, “This walk is not going to happen. You’re not going to expose him to people who could hurt him. Difficulty.

Former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner told USA Today, “There would be no reason to handcuff him and take him to police headquarters to be arrested. There will always be photo ID, fingerprints and lots of paperwork completed as part of the booking process. So we’re going to see a mug shot of a former president of the United States, but I don’t think we’re going to see a person walking.”

Veteran Manhattan defense attorney Ron Kuby opined that a handcuffed Trump would reflect poorly on Bragg and expose him to allegations of favoritism. Moreover, it would anger Trump’s base of support.

Why is security strengthened in New York?

New York police have stepped up security in the city ahead of possible indictments. The New York Police Department (NYPD) set up barricades in front of Bragg’s office and Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

According to a New York Times report, more than a dozen senior police officers met with the mayor’s aides on Sunday to discuss security and emergency plans for the protest.

Senior Democrats have warned that the possibility of Trump’s impeachment could trigger a repeat of the riots that occurred at the White House in January 2021 following the defeat in the US presidential election.

An online group – “the Donald” – has called for a “national strike” and “Civil War 2.0” to protect Trump and oppose any arrests.

In fact, Trump himself called for protests should he be impeached. On his social media platform, he said: “We cannot allow this anymore. They are killing our nation while we sit and watch.

The former US president also said, “Protest, take back our nation!”

Republicans have also weighed in on the case, with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeting that his arrest was “an abuse of power by a tough prosecutor who is letting violent criminals walk while pursuing his political vendetta against President Trump.”

Will this affect Trump’s run in 2024?

The short answer to that is: NO. Legal experts say there are no restrictions in the Constitution that prevent people from becoming president if they have been indicted.

Republican strategist Lenny McCallister said the impeachment, if it happens, would essentially help Donald Trump. The indictment could boost support from Trump’s most loyal supporters. “He said he was there to drain the swamp. The swamp is threatened by him. And it’s been a war against the swamp ever since,” McAllister told Al Jazeera. “And people who believe that story will see this indictment as further proof of that.”