Some politicians and political pundits responded on Saturday to former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump&#8217;s</a> claim that he will be arrested on Tuesday in a case involving an alleged $130,000 hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.
Trump&#8217;s claims come after a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/law-enforcement-agencies-are-prepping-possible-trump-indictment-early-rcna75493" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from NBC News said federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies were analyzing security assessments and making plans to prepare for the possibility that Trump could be indicted next week, although no date is given in the report. A spokesperson for Trump later <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-received-no-notification-than-illegal-leaks-possible-arrest-next-week-spokesperson-says?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Trump has been given &#8220;no notification&#8221; that there will be an arrest next week.
As of the time this report was published, no Republican governors had made statements about Trump&#8217;s claim, and only five U.S. senators made statements, including Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Rick Scott (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Josh Hawley (R-MO). House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-mccarthy-vows-action-after-trump-claims-he-is-being-arrested-on-tuesday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to make sure that no federal funds were being used in the case.
Some, like Twitter CEO Elon Musk, predicted: &#8220;If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory.&#8221;
Former Vice President Mike Pence <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/18/donald-trump-arrest-congress-statements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a radio interview that he was &#8220;taken aback&#8221; by Trump&#8217;s claim.
“You have literally a Democratic party that&#8217;s literally dismantled the criminal justice system in that city, undercut the NYPD, and this is what the Manhattan DA says is their top priority?&#8221; Pence asked. &#8220;It reeks of the kind of political prosecution that we endured back in the days of the Russia hoax and the whole impeachment over a phone call.&#8221;
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-house-republican-endorses-ron-desantis-for-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis this week for president, defended Trump, writing: &#8220;The impending indictment of President Trump in NY must be treated as it is: a politically-motivated prosecution based on a strained, convoluted legal theory.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The impending indictment of President Trump in NY must be treated as it is: a politically-motivated prosecution based on a strained, convoluted legal theory. It makes clear the danger of a politicized “justice” system that will be (is being) weaponized against ALL Americans. <a href="https://t.co/dz8o2mUgJr">https://t.co/dz8o2mUgJr</a>
&mdash; Chip Roy (@chiproytx) <a href="https://twitter.com/chiproytx/status/1637102734758363136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Arresting President Trump over a 2016 event which is of dubious illegality is another sign of the left’s insanity,&#8221; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said. “To arrest a former and future President is an act of hatred and poison and will further harden support for Trump while discrediting the left. Remember Hunter Biden!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Arresting President Trump over a 2016 event which is of dubious illegality is another sign of the left’s insanity. To arrest a former and future President is an act of hatred and poison and will further harden support for Trump while discrediting the left. Remember Hunter Biden!
&mdash; Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/newtgingrich/status/1637088765624700930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
Some legal experts weighed in and said that they believed that the case against Trump was weak, including <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3906498-get-ready-for-manhattan-das-made-for-tv-trump-prosecution-high-on-ratings-but-short-on-the-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Turley</a>, law professor at George Washington University.
Other conservatives, like Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh, had a slightly different take. &#8220;They want Trump to be the Republican nominee,&#8221; Walsh said. &#8220;That’s obviously the play here. There is no other conceivable reason to arrest and perp walk him on a bulls**t misdemeanor charge.&#8221;
&#8220;I might be overestimating the tactical intelligence of the idiot power-hungry hacks behind this,&#8221; Walsh continued. &#8220;But if there is any political strategy then that has to be it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I might be overestimating the tactical intelligence of the idiot power-hungry hacks behind this. But if there is any political strategy then that has to be it.
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1637078620207284224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
Chronicles Magazine editor Pedro L. Gonzalez had a slightly different take, especially when it came to Trump encouraging people to protest, writing: &#8220;Trump walked his supporters into a trap set by his enemies on Jan. 6. Now he’s asking them to walk into another trap by demanding they take to the streets for him. Meanwhile, the only person that could perhaps help Trump is Ron DeSantis, who Trump just launched a witch hunt against with an ethics complaint. But if he does help Trump despite that (though it’s not even clear he can) it’ll likely hurt him as he eyes a presidential run himself and help guarantee a Biden victory. Trump only delivers one gift after another to the Democratic Party and its allies.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump walked his supporters into a trap set by his enemies on Jan. 6. Now he’s asking them to walk into another trap by demanding they take to the streets for him. Meanwhile, the only person that could perhaps help Trump is Ron DeSantis, who Trump just <a href="https://t.co/3p9OU7i1ZM">https://t.co/3p9OU7i1ZM</a>…
&mdash; Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) <a href="https://twitter.com/emeriticus/status/1637188892586569730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
Some Democrats weighed in on the matter and gave predictable responses.
For example, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who served as the previous House Speaker, said: &#8220;Whatever the Grand Jury decides, its consideration makes clear: no one is above the law, not even a former President of the United States.&#8221;
&#8220;The former president’s announcement this morning is reckless: doing so to keep himself in the news &amp; to foment unrest among his supporters,&#8221; she added. &#8220;He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence. Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence. 
Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable.
&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1637153441918099462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
The case involves an alleged payment that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen admits he made to Daniels during the presidential race to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 tryst between Trump and Daniels. Cohen pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.
Although non-disclosure agreements are legal, the potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed Cohen. The payment was listed as a legal expense and the company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. The report said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.
Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”
Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the alleged $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story for the purpose of benefiting his presidential campaign.

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Some Politicians, Notable Figures Weigh In On Trump’s Claim That He Will Be Arrested On Tuesday