PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (WPEC) — Former President Donald Trump says he expects to be arrested soon in connection to alleged hush money payments he made during the 2016 presidential campaign.
His supporters are not taking the news well.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating whether Trump's payments of money to women he allegedly had sexual encounters with – porn actor Stormy Daniels and former "Plauyboy" model Karen McDougal – violated campaign finance law.
Trump posted early Saturday morning that according to supposed leaks from Bragg's office, he expects to be arrested on Tuesday.
As part of his screed, the twice-impeached former president invoked language eerily parallel to the kind he used in the lead up to the riots and invasion of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, calling on his followers to protest.
“IT’S TIME!!!” he wrote. “WE JUST CAN’T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA!PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!”
His supporters are now doing just that, making their way out to Mar-a-Lago on Sunday to stand in support of the one-time reality television star.
While there were just a handful of protesters in Palm Beach, in New York City, security preparations are already underway for possible large demonstrations.
Protesters said this is not the first time law enforcement has tried to take down Trump. They told WPEC they believe this is just another attempt to stop him from taking office.
"They have been investigating him with the Russia hoax, they impeached him over the Ukraine phone calls, they are coming after him with the Georgia election phone calls, it’s one after investigation after another and Trump is still standing strong," said Justin Nevarez.
There were around 30 people with flags and signs in support of Trump out on Sunday, with a larger crowd expected to form if an arrest is made on Tuesday.