Yesterday, former Republican President Donald Trump announced on his social media page - citing leaked information - that he would be arrested in New York on Tuesday. He called on his followers to protest. They sided with his fellow Republicans, accusing the prosecutor's office of "abuse of power and undermining democracy." However, Democrats approved the investigations against Trump, saying he should be "accountable for his actions and his words." Hollywood celebrities didn't hide what they had to say either: many called the former president a sociopath, racist and criminal.
Leading Republican politicians have come out in support of Donald Trump after the former president posted on Truth Social that he would be "arrested on Tuesday" for allegedly paying adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in campaign cash during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump has denied the charges, and the Manhattan prosecutor's office has denied the indictment. The prosecution would now hear the former president as a witness, although according to legal experts, in this case, it is already the anteroom of the indictment.
Trump's attorney stated, "The statement is based on media reports," referring to the former president naming an illegal leaker as his prosecutorial source.
Republican defense, Democrat attack
The impeachment of the former President of the United States deeply concerns not only me, but also tens of millions of Americans
- said in connection with the case. In recent months, the politician "didn't treat his former boss with a gloved hand", and many expect him to officially announce his ambitions for the Republican presidential nomination in the coming weeks.
House Republican Speaker Kevin McCharthy said the indictment would be an "abuse of power and political vendetta" by prosecutors. He also called on the subcommittee to investigate whether the New York prosecutor's office is using federal funds to "subvert democracy and interfere in elections in the course of its political prosecutions."
Here we go again — an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political revenge against President Trump.
I'm directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by… https://t.co/elpbh7LeWn
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) March 18, 2023
However, McCharthy's predecessor, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, accused Trump's statement of "recklessness" and said that the former president "only wants to make headlines and stir up unrest among his supporters." He added:
It cannot hide from violations of the law, disregard for elections and incitement to violence.
"Donald's post is eerily similar to his January 6, 2021 battle cry, including the call to protest," Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, who admitted in 2018 that he paid the adult film star with campaign money in exchange for his silence, New York Post
He added, "he hopes to re-incite his base, witness violent clashes and ask for more donations."
Not only politicians spoke
Elon Musk, the owner of the Twitter microblog, the Tesla car manufacturer and the space exploration company SpaceX, also spoke on the matter. As he wrote : "If this happens, Trump will be re-elected overwhelmingly."
The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., tweeted:
Removing him brings them one step closer to taking away your freedom, which seems to have been the plan all along.
Remember this? Well now more than ever it's being proven right. If they can take him out they're one step closer to taking you and your freedoms out... and apparently that's been the plan all along. pic.twitter.com/LwbOzcBTXL
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 18, 2023
On the contrary, Hollywood celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen, Rob Reiner, or the novelist Stephen King spoke out against Trump. The latter described the former president as a "sociopath and criminal", while Rob Reiner described him as a "pathologically lying misogynist racist".
Source: magyarnemzet.hu
Opening image: MTI/EPA/Shawn Thew