The Manhattan district attorney has responded to former President Donald Trump’s recent social media post that cited leaks alleging he would be arrested this week.
Alvin Bragg sent an email to staff on Saturday, saying that his office will “not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York.” The email was first obtained by Politico.
In an email to CNN, Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for Bragg, confirmed the contents of the email. However, the office would not comment further on the situation.
Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, posting in all caps that he would be arrested this coming Tuesday, telling his supporters to “PROTEST” and “TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”
Bragg sent his email to staff following the series of posts from Trump, in which he levied accusations against those speaking out against him, including the center of the case, the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who Trump called “horseface.”
Trump is fighting several legal battles at the moment, and Bragg’s office has been investigating him for what the New York prosecutor has called a hush-money scheme to keep Daniels quiet about their alleged past relationship.
Now, following Trump’s call to protest, Bragg and his office are coordinating with the New York City Police Department and the court to “ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment,” the email said.
Bragg continued his message to staff, saying they will “continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate.” He said this is standard for all the investigations his office handles.
The post from Trump on his alleged pending arrest comes as the former president is attempting to win the 2024 Republican nomination, and the first step to doing so is in Iowa.
Trump has been speaking in the state since last week, preparing for the Iowa caucus, as his support in the state remains strong but has dwindled amongst Republican voters. According to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll, Trump is neck-and-neck with potential challenger and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The poll found that among voters in the state, 80% said they view Trump “very” or “most” favorably, while 75% reported the same for DeSantis. However, the poll also noted that support for Trump has steadily declined since June 2021. Now, the percentage of Iowa Republicans who would “definitely” vote for him in 2024 has fallen by more than 20 percentage points.
As for what now seems like the former president’s most pressing legal matter, Politico has reported that an indictment is expected to happen soon, especially after Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen provided testimony in the case.
The White House has also shared it’s monitoring the situation closely after Trump’s call for his supporters to protest, according to National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby told Fox News Sunday that they don’t want to see a repeat of Jan. 6.
“We’re always monitoring the situation here as best we can,” Kirby said. “And we obviously don’t want to see any activity grow violent, certainly nothing to the extent that we saw on Jan. 6. But we’re watching this. We’ll watch it, of course, closely.”
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