'Take back nation': Trump urges unrest
WASHINGTON: A Republican rival has defended Donald Trump after the former president said he expected to be arrested this week and urged his supporters to protest and "take back our nation", in a call to arms with echoes ofthe January 6 riots on Capitol Hill.
Former vice-president Mike Pence, who is expected to run against Trump for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidency, said any possible indictment over hush money paid to a porn star was politically motivated.
"Here we go again. Another politically charged prosecution against the former president of the United States", said Mr Pen ce who last week said Mr Trump should be accountable for the events of January 6, 2021.
"The idea of indicting a former president of the United States is deeply troubling to me, as it is to tens of milli ons of Americans."
House speaker Kevin McCarthy also defended Trump, saying an indictment would be "an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA (district attorney) who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance" against Trump.
But former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump's call to action was "reckless"
"He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence," she said.
Mr Trump's former fixer Michael Coh en, who made the $Al 94,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, accused him of trying to provoke "another violent clash on his behalf'.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has had Mr Trump in his sights and recently offered him the chance to testify in a grand jury probe of the payment made during the 2016 presidential election.
"THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK," Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!"
His lawyer Susan Necheles said Trump had no direct knowledge of an arrest, and he was reacting to l eaks from "a political prosecution" run by MrBragg.
The payment to Ms Daniels was made after she alleged she slept with Trump during his days as a reality TV star - a claim h e has always denied.
Mr Coh en, who has served jail time on federal charges over the hush money, has since become a key witness for Mr Bragg and claims Mr Trump directed him to pay Ms Daniels to k eep her quiet.
The case is focused on whether he falsified business records to cover up the payment. Mr Trump said it was "BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE".
But his one-time lawyer Alan Dershowitz told Fox News: "If I were him, I would b e worri ed."
Mr Coh en said Mr Trump's call to his supporters was "eerily similar to his battle cry prior to the January 6th insurrection".
"By doing so, Donald is hoping to rile his base, witness anoth er violent clash on his behalf and profit from it by soliciting contributions," he said.