Former President Donald Trump sparked fear among New York Police Department (NYPD) officers when he told his Truth Social followers that he expected to be arrested on March 21. According to the New York Times, the popular Republican suggested that his supporters protest in response to the indictment, which raised concerns. A subsequent 911 bomb threat halted the Manhattan court proceedings, and additional hoax calls clogged the systems. To counteract any protests, the NYPD deployed all 36,000 of its officers for the day.
Following allegations that Trump paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to remain silent about an affair, New York prosecutors have been working toward an indictment. The Republican leader allegedly did so knowing that news of any extramarital affairs, particularly with a porn star, could jeopardize his chances in the 2016 presidential election. Officials will almost certainly push the narrative that the former president also tampered with business financial records in order to conceal the activity.
NYPD to deploy 36,000 officers amid Trump indictmenthttps://t.co/nRa08cCbxI
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 21, 2023
Regardless of when an arrest warrant for these allegations is issued, the “white collar” nature of his alleged crime would likely allow the former president to surrender himself whenever he travels to New York. Officials may decide to extradite him from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, but according to Newsweek, such a move would put potential candidate Ron DeSantis in an awkward position. According to the New York Times, an arrest of the former president would be a spectacle, with Secret Service accompanying Trump through the booking process, but the courts would most likely release the GOP frontrunner pre-trial without serving any actual jail time.
According to CNBC, Trump’s legal team has indicated that if the charges are pursued, he would willingly surrender. Still, the former president denies all wrongdoing, calling the current investigation a “witch hunt.” Meanwhile, police must deal with the unnecessary distraction of disgruntled Trump supporters at a time when officers already have a full plate.
