China News Network, March 3 (Chen Caixia) At this moment, the US time has entered the 22nd, however, the big news that former US President Trump "spoiled" his "arrest" on the 22st did not happen.

However, the New York police have been setting up barricades for days to prevent their supporters from protesting violently again.

A trailer that stirred up a thousand waves. The court is under pressure and passive, 3,6 police officers in New York are on standby, and bipartisan attacks are once again tearing the United States apart... Has Trump's "wishful thinking" become a reality?

Must appear in court

Not the 21st, will it be next week?

On the 18th, Trump posted on his self-created social media platform "Real Social" that New York prosecutors are investigating a case and that he expects to be arrested on March 3, calling on supporters to protest and support him in "taking the country back."

Trump is referring to the case that prosecutors say is suspected of paying "hush money" to adult film actor Stormie Daniels, but Trump has firmly denied this and called the investigation a "witch hunt."

Former U.S. President Trump.

The outside world has been highly concerned about whether he will be arrested on this day in the past two days, and now it seems that this major incident has not happened.

According to Fox News, citing law enforcement agency sources, the New York court jury intends to hear new witness testimony on the 22nd and is unlikely to approve criminal charges against Trump in advance.

"Law enforcement agencies are not expected to read out the charges against Trump before next week, because the Manhattan grand jury has secretly studied the evidence for weeks and will hear another new witness testimony on the 22nd." ”

In addition, the source also said that the New York court discussed behind closed doors on the 20th how to subpoena Trump, ruling out the possibility of his remote participation. That means Trump may have to appear in court to answer the allegations.

3,6 police officers in New York are on standby

Will the "Capitol Hill riot" be repeated?

For Trump's possible arrival in New York for criminal arraignment, the Manhattan prosecutor's office and relevant law enforcement agencies are conducting a security assessment. At that time, they will cordon off the area, use generators, and set up more barricades and police to fully support logistics.

On the 21st, the New York City Police Department ordered 3,6 police officers in the city to wear uniforms and stand by, and set up barricades around the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Prague and Trump Tower to prevent Trump supporters from holding large-scale violent protests again and avoiding a repeat of the "Capitol Hill riot" case in 2021.

On March 3, local time, New York police patrolled around the courthouse.

In addition to the New York police, the Capitol Hill police in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, are also preparing for possible public order chaos on the 21st, including setting up barricades and increasing police forces.

According to Bloomberg, if Trump is criminally charged, he may need to travel from his home in Florida to New York City to undergo fingerprint extraction, facial photography and other procedures, but he may not be brought to the camera or locked in a detention cell in handcuffs.

For Trump, who is again seeking to enter the White House in 2024, if he is criminally prosecuted, it will not only trap him in the vortex of public opinion, but also make him the first former president of the United States to be criminally prosecuted, which will make history.

Bipartisan attacks have once again torn the United States apart

Has Trump's "wishful thinking" become a reality?

It is worth noting that when Trump released the news of his arrest, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office had not taken any action, and Trump was so anxious to expose the relevant news, perhaps with other "wishful thinking".

US media pointed out that Trump seems to want to preempt the official announcement of the Manhattan District Attorney to arouse the anger of the group of supporters in order to win the support of public opinion and raise campaign funds.

According to Politico, after Trump's "preview" was issued, about 200 members of the Manhattan-based New York Youth Republican Club planned to hold a rally near the courthouse.

On March 3, local time, Trump supporters protested in front of the New York City Criminal Court.

At the same time, on some ultra-conservative websites, there are even users calling for a "national strike" calling on "all patriots to stop America from functioning" in protest against prosecutors prosecuting Trump.

In addition, Trump has the support of many Republicans on this matter. House Speaker McCarthy "shelled" prosecutor Prague for "abuse of power" and tried to "subvert American democracy," saying the House would open an investigation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan also organized a joint letter to pressure Prague, saying the actions of the District Attorney's Office "will undermine confidence in the impartial administration of justice."

Bragg responded by saying, "If there is a threat against the prosecutor's office, our law enforcement officers will fully investigate it... We will not tolerate any attempt to intimidate the prosecution's office or threaten the rule of law in New York. ”

Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi also launched a fierce attack on Trump. She said in a statement that "Trump not only disrespects the election, but also incites violence, and he cannot hide his illegal actions." ”

CNN pointed out that the political divisions caused by putting a former president on trial may not be in the broader national interest of the United States and will lead to further division in society.

Is it a blessing or a curse?

The 2024 presidential election is more difficult to predict

Regardless of whether Trump is ultimately indicted or arrested, AFP pointed out that this case, which has set off a storm of public opinion, has marked an "explosive" and "unpredictable" development in the 2024 presidential election.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has said Trump, if arrested, could increase his approval ratings, which would earn him a lot of "sympathy." Twitter CEO Elon Musk also tweeted that if Trump is sued, he will instead win "by a landslide."

Former U.S. President Trump.

But according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, about 44 percent of Republicans believe Trump should withdraw from the presidential race if he is indicted.

Since there is no law in the U.S. Constitution that prevents a person who has been criminally indicted or convicted of a crime from running for election or becoming president of the United States, Trump still has the right to continue to campaign even if he is eventually criminally charged.

But in addition to the "hush money" case, the former president was also involved in the Mar-a-Lago confidential documents case and the "Capitol Hill riot" case.

According to USA Today, Trump and his company have been involved in more than 30,4000 lawsuits and judicial investigations in the past 169 years. Among them, Trump has been named in at least <> lawsuits in federal court.

Although Trump, who is riddled with lawsuits, was lucky not to be "arrested" on the day he predicted, the outside world believes that the day when he is prosecuted may not be far away. (End)