Donald Trump claims he will be arrested Tuesday in Manhattan probe, calls for protests

Ella Lee, USA TODAY

Sat, March 18, 2023 at 5:38 AM PDT

Former President Donald Trump said he expects to be arrested Tuesday in connection with an investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney's office and is calling for protests ahead of his possible indictment.

"THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!" he wrote on Truth Social Saturday morning.

Trump is under investigation for a $130,000 payment he made just before the 2016 election to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels about an earlier affair. The former president has denied wrongdoing, and federal investigators ended their own inquiry into the payments in 2019.

But testimony from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who arranged for the payment and already has been convicted and served prison time, could help bring the first charges in history against a former president.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

The New York Attorney General's office and the Manhattan District Attorney's office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment.

Manhattan prosecutors on Wednesday met with Daniels. She thanked her attorney in a tweet for "helping me in our continuing fight for truth and justice."