If Donald Trump is indicted for his alleged role in a scheme to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels hush money to cover up an affair, will he actually be handcuffed?
Multiple sources cited by The Guardian said the former president hopes so.
Trump would want his indictment to be a “spectacle” if it does happen. He appears to believe that it will, and even posted on Truth Social Saturday that he would be arrested this week. In the post, Trump urged his followers and fans to protest.
“Trump’s increasing insistence that he wants to be handcuffed behind his back for a perp walk appears to come from various motivations, including that he wants to project defiance in the face of what he sees as an unfair prosecution and that it would galvanize his base for his 2024 presidential campaign,” said The Guardian.
Per the outlet, Trump is most concerned about looking like a “loser.”
With a jury indictment in the case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Trump would be criminally charged and subject to arrest, per Intelligencer. Being arrested could mean that Trump would go to the courthouse, get fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken.
“However, Trump would probably not be arrested in the traditional way one thinks of,” said Intelligencer. Citing Insider, the outlet said that Trump would probably not be handcuffed.
“But yes, there will be a mugshot, and fingerprinting, and a mandatory DNA cheek-swabbing. And there will be an appearance before a judge, and a not-guilty plea – likely, though not necessarily, in open court,” Insider said.
Already, one of the outlet’s predictions – that Trump would not be indicted Tuesday – has proved accurate. A grand jury session Wednesday was also called off for an “unknown reason,” according to 1010 WINS.
It is still unclear whether Trump will actually be indicted for the scheme. Allegations against the current GOP 2024 presidential primary front-runner focus on $130,000 he allegedly paid to Daniels through his then-lawyer Michael Cohen during his 2016 presidential campaign. Prosecutors are investigating whether Trump falsified Trump Organization business records to pull off the alleged scheme.
According to The Guardian, “Trump’s legal team in the hush money case has recoiled at the idea of him going in person and recommended that Trump allow them to quietly turn himself in next week and schedule a remote appearance, even citing guidance from his Secret Service detail about potential security concerns.”
Fox News reported also Monday that Trump could have a “quiet surrender” if indicted.
Trump has resisted, said the report. Instead, sources cited by the outlet claim the former president allegedly said he doesn’t care about being shot, as that would make him a martyr and could help him win the presidency in 2024. In the past, publicity over legal scandals has helped Trump with fundraising, The Guardian noted.
“People close to Trump could not be sure how serious he is about being handcuffed for a perp walk, but he may be thwarted in his supposed ambitions if the district attorney, Alvin Bragg, decides against handcuffing him and refuses to allow him to be marched past the cameras,” said outlet.
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