New York braces for protests after Trump claims he faces arrest

Grand jury has been investigating former US president over payments made to an adult film star

Former US president Donald Trump is expected to be indicted over hush money paid to a porn actress, with Trump calling for mass demonstrations if he is charged. AFP

New York police were on high alert on Tuesday after former US president Donald Trump claimed he would be arrested in connection to an ongoing investigation into hush money that was paid to an adult film star before the 2016 election.

At the weekend, Mr Trump called on supporters to protest in the Big Apple as a grand jury wraps up hearing evidence into whether he improperly used campaign funds to silence Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with him in 2006.

Mr Trump has denied the affair and any wrongdoing.

He claimed without evidence that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but there was no indication that prediction would come true and Mr Trump remained at his home in Florida during the day.

Still, authorities erected barricades outside the entrance to Trump Tower in Manhattan and the courthouse where the grand jury is working.

Memories are still fresh of the deadly January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol in Washington, where a mob of Trump supporters tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 election.

As of Tuesday afternoon, only a small scattering of Trump supporters were on the streets.

While Mr Trump is from New York, many residents in the liberal city feel little love for their Republican former neighbour.

“I hope he gets arrested,” local student Remy Grimm told The National outside Trump Tower.

“I think that the Stormy Daniels case is the least pressing of anything that he could be charged for. But that's the first step and just the symbolism of him getting arrested — it's going to completely change the landscape of the [2024 presidential] election.”

The former president officially launched his bid for the White House in November.

Mr Trump shared a video on his social media platform Truth Social in which he again called investigations into his activities a “witch hunt”.

The decision on whether to indict Mr Trump over payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign now lies with the grand jury, which has been hearing evidence in secret for weeks.

Daniels received $130,000 from Mr Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in exchange for staying quiet before the 2016 election about an affair she says she had with Mr Trump, then a celebrity property tycoon.

An indictment of Mr Trump would be the first criminal case brought against a former president.

“I think it's great for the country that everyone is held to the same legal standard, and that nobody is above the law, even a former president,” New York businessman Christopher Treller said outside Trump Tower.

The Manhattan grand jury appeared to take an important step on Monday by hearing from a witness regarded as favourable to the former US president.

Evidence given by Robert Costello, a lawyer with ties to Trump aides, appeared to be a final opportunity for allies of the former president to steer the grand jury away from an indictment.

Mr Costello was invited by prosecutors to appear after saying that he had information to challenge the credibility of Mr Cohen, Mr Trump's former fixer who turned against him and became a leading witness in the Manhattan prosecutor's investigation.

He said he had come forward because he did not believe that Mr Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and served time in prison, could be trusted.

“If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence, then so be it,” Mr Costello said.

“But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence.”

An indictment could test a Republican Party divided over whether to support Mr Trump next year.

Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and has called the Manhattan prosecutor's investigation politically motivated.

It was unclear if additional witnesses might be summoned.

Separately, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that a bomb threat was called into a Lower Manhattan courthouse holding a hearing on a $250 million lawsuit against Mr Trump by New York state's attorney general.