Barriers were going up Monday outside of the New York City courthouse where the “hush money” case involving porn star Stormy Daniels is being heard. The move comes after former President Donald Trump announced over the weekend he expects to be arrested this week at the instruction of leftist Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Video shows men unloading stacks of metal barriers outside of the courthouse as the jury continues to hear testimony on the case:
Barriers are going up outside the courthouse where a grand jury is hearing testimony in the "hush money" case involving @realDonaldTrump.
There's definitely some tension in the air as the city prepares for the possibility of demonstrations should the 45th President be indicted. pic.twitter.com/dqDbLvTkts
— Robert Sherman (@RobertShermanTV) March 20, 2023
Over the weekend, Trump announced on Truth Social he expects to be arrested this week, citing “illegal leaks from a corrupt & highly political Manhattan District Attorney’s office.”
He continued:
…WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!
The announcement sent a shockwave throughout the political world, and several high-profile Republicans are now publicly defending Trump and demanding equal justice under the law.
“It reeks of the kind of political prosecution that that we endured back in the days of the Russia hoax and the whole impeachment over a phone call. And one thing I know is — I know that former President Trump can take care of himself,” former Vice President Mike Pence told Breitbart News Saturday following the news.
Others have since weighed in:
Here we go again — an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance 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
🚨The reported upcoming arrest of President Trump by hyper partisan Soros prosecutor Alvin Bragg is some Third World Banana Republic lunacy and a very, very dangerous road to go down.
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) March 18, 2023
The Democrats have turned the powers of government against their political enemies – they must be stopped or they will soon ruin our country permanently.
They are out of control – and have ushered in chaos on our streets, in the economy, and in the world. https://t.co/TwY4x84AKn
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) March 18, 2023
If they can come for Trump, they will come for you.
This type of stuff only occurs in third world authoritarian nations.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) March 18, 2023
Meanwhile, Republicans on top House investigative committees, including Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), are requesting testimony from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, warning him that these reports of a looming indictment, if true, “erode confidence in the evenhanded application of justice and unalterably interfere in the course of the 2024 presidential election.”
“In light of the serious consequences of your actions, we expect that you will testify about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision,” they added:
🚨🚨🚨
House Admin Chairman @RepBryanSteil, Judiciary Chairman @Jim_Jordan , and House Oversight Chairman @RepJamesComer sent a letter to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg demanding communications, documents & testimony relating to Bragg's unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority. pic.twitter.com/jW3RklvHWu— House Admin. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) March 20, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) finally weighed in on the matter on Monday as well but said his office is “not going to be involved” with a “manufactured circus by some Soros [backed] DA.”
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