Trump Frantically Calls For Bragg to ‘Indict Himself’ on Eve of Arraignment

Nikki McCann Ramirez
·3 min read
1.2k
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
President Trump Returns To White House From Weekend In Florida - Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
President Trump Returns To White House From Weekend In Florida - Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Come tomorrow afternoon, former President Donald Trump is expected to be formally charged and processed in New York City’s Manhattan courthouse. On the eve of his arraignment, Trump has taken to social media to level a frantic attack against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Trump responded to a Yahoo News report that his indictment would include 34 class Class E felony counts of falsification of business records with a furious rant on Truth Social. “Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me,” Trump wrote. “This means that he MUST BE IMMEDIATELY INDICTED.”

More from Rolling Stone

He added, “If he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF.”

“No Crime by Trump. What a MESS. Bragg should resign, NOW!” the former president wrote in a separate post.

Trump, who traveled from Florida to New York on Monday in preparation for the arraignment, has spent weeks attempting to discredit Bragg and the investigation into his 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. When news of the indictment broke on Thursday, Trump issued a lengthy statement accusing Bragg of conducting a political witch hunt aimed at interfering with the election. As previously reported by Rolling Stone, alongside Trump’s public attacks on Bragg, the former president has already begun plotting ways to exact his revenge against the Manhattan DA.

But even while Trump rages at the approaching arraignment, he and his team have worked to twist the courthouse spectacle in their favor. Law enforcement officials coordinating the voluntary surrender previously revealed to Rolling Stone that Trump had been offered the option of a quiet, virtual arraignment via Zoom — instead, the former president has opted for a highly public in-person procedure. “He wanted a perp walk; he wanted daylight hours,” said one law enforcement official involved in the planning of the arraignment. “He wants to get out of the vehicle and walk up the stairs.”

The source described the decision as a kind of “Jesus Christ thing,” with Trump portraying himself as a martyr amongst his followers. Describing the message the ex-president hopes to send his supporters, the source said: “‘If they can do this to me they can do this to you.’” The source indicated that while Trump will present himself in court for a potential mugshot and fingerprints, he will not be handcuffed.

Trump has also indicated that he intends to make public remarks following the arraignment and his return to Palm Beach, Florida.

In March, as news broke that the Manhattan grand jury impaneled by Bragg was preparing to indict Trump, the former president called for protests on his behalf and warned of “death and destruction” should he be charged. While turnout on behalf of the former president has so far been scant, New York City law enforcement is bracing for potential unrest on Tuesday. Mayor Eric Adams issued a warning Monday to incoming protestors, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that anyone “caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable. No matter who you are.”

Best of Rolling Stone

Click here to read the full article.