With signs that former US President Donald Trump could be formally charged, arrested and put on trial for paying a bribe dating back to 2016, authorities are tightening security in anticipation of a backlash from supporters of the potential Republican presidential candidate.
Trump announced last Saturday on his platform "Truth Social" that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday, and called on his supporters to protest, recalling the scenes of chaos that ended with the storming of Congress on January 2021, <> after calling on his supporters to protest what he describes as the theft of the presidential election result from him.
Fearing a repeat of the Capitol storming scenario, security has been tightened in New York, particularly around the Manhattan courthouse, as well as in Washington, D.C., amid expectations that New York Attorney General Alvin Bragg next week will formally accuse Trump of illegally paying $130,2016 to actress Stormy Daniels during the <> presidential election in order to buy her silence about an affair believed to have existed between them outside marriage, an allegation the former president denies.
Trump's expectations of his arrest on Tuesday have not materialized given the postponement of some legal proceedings in the case, but the possibility of his arrest and trial is still expected within the next week.
If he is arrested or even charged, it would be a precedent, as no U.S. president has ever been indicted either in office or after leaving office.
While the case is sparking fierce political debate in Washington as Republicans frequently criticize the legal proceedings in the case, US authorities are closely monitoring the movements of supporters of the former president for any signs of violent action if the New York attorney general decides to bring criminal charges against Trump.
Trump supporters demonstrate around the New York Attorney General's Office (Getty Images)
Civil war and disobedience
CBS quoted intelligence sources as saying that threats and rhetoric of violence online had risen sharply after former President Donald Trump said he expected to be indicted by Tuesday.
The sources said that extremist publications called for civil war and warned Attorney General Alvin Prague, an African-American Democrat, against bringing charges against Trump, because that would be met with more violence than the attack on the sixth of January 2021 on Congress.
In addition, some right-wing pro-Trump groups, such as The Donald, have called for a "national strike."
Meanwhile, calls for withdrawals from banks to protest the potential trial have been circulating on social media used by right-wing supporters.
According to the George Washington Anti-Disinformation Initiative, calls by Trump supporters to withdraw deposits as a form of nonviolent insurrection have increased on social media.
The initiative notes that supporters of the former president are seeking to cause as much damage as possible, and explains that these calls come after the collapse of Silicon Valley and raised concerns for the safety of the US financial system.
The Associated Press quoted four officials as saying that posts and correspondence calling for armed demonstrations to prevent the former US president's possible arrest by law enforcement authorities had been spotted.
Despite the detection of extremist positions that go as far as calling for civil war, some right-wing activists believe that Trump's arrest may be a trap by the authorities to draw his supporters into violence, weakening his chances of returning to power in the 2024 elections.
Security analysts also said they noticed that the tone of Trump supporters on right-wing social media platforms had eased days after Trump called for them to demonstrate.
Demonstrations and security measures
In anticipation of any violent protest by Trump supporters, barricades have been erected around the Manhattan courthouse and Trump Tower.
It comes as rallies began outside the Manhattan courthouse, Trump Tower and outside the former president's residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The NYPD said there were no serious threats so far, while Mayor Eric Adams said police were monitoring social media platforms and any outlaw acts.
At the same time, the NYPD said it would deploy more uniformed officers to the city's five major neighborhoods.
In Washington, there was a move to declare a state of emergency last Tuesday in anticipation of angry responses in the event of an indictment against Trump, which did not happen.
According to the Associated Press, there are few indications that Trump's call for demonstrations if arrested could prompt his supporters to organize a large protest similar to the one that took place on January 2021, <>.
Allie Alexander, one of the leading organizers of the "Stop the Steal" demonstrations during the last presidential election, wrote that he would not take part in new actions, warning supporters of the former president that they would be imprisoned and possibly "worse" if they demonstrated in Democratic-dominated New York.
However, statements by Republican leaders denouncing the existence of political motives in the case, and Trump's own attack on New York's attorney general as corrupt, could inflame the anger of right-wing supporters and push them into the streets if the former president is formally impeached.
The case of actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is legally complicated as the judiciary in New York seeks to determine whether Trump is guilty of falsifying data, which is a misdemeanor, or of violating campaign finance laws, which constitutes a criminal offence.