Trump in ‘high spirits’ ahead of imminent arrest in New York, plotting publicity storm

Former US president Donald Trump is said to be in “high spirits” ahead of his imminent arrest as he aims to turn the historic moment into a publicity storm.

Donald Trump says he is “not worried in the slightest” ahead of his imminent arrest as early as Thursday (AEDT), with the former president’s team plotting to use the historic moment to boost his campaign to return to the White House.

In emails to his supporters, Mr Trump claimed the potential criminal charges against him – which would be the first against a US president in history – were a “phoney witch hunt” as he maintained there was “NO CRIME OF ANY KIND” in hush money he paid to a porn star.

But in an awkward twist, an old TV clip resurfaced of his lawyer Joe Tacopina declaring the US$130,000 – used to stop Stormy Daniels alleging before the 2016 election that she slept with Mr Trump – was “illegal” and a “fraud”.

Mr Trump remains at his Florida home ahead of a planned rally in Texas this weekend, as the Manhattan District Attorney nears a decision on laying charges in coming days.

Donald Trump is reportedly in high spirits ahead of his imminent arrest. Picture: Roberto Schmidt (AFP)

New York police are on high alert and have been ordered to dress in uniform and be ready to respond in case protests urged by the former president spiral out of control.

After Mr Trump encouraged his supporters to “take back our nation”, several dozen gathered outside his Florida home on Wednesday (AEDT), with one telling a local newspaper: “I thought there’d be more people here.”

A small crowd also gathered at the New York courthouse while some took part in a convoy in Long Island.

“I think that everything that they’re doing to Donald Trump is a ploy to get him not to run again,” Richard Franco told reporters.

Donald Trump claims the case against him is a “witch hunt”. Picture: Getty Images

A source told the New York Post that Mr Trump was in “high spirits” and his team was “very pumped about this”.

“The Manhattan District Attorney, NYPD and even the Department of Justice were trying to work out a quiet handover coordinated with the Secret Service – and Trump was having none of that. If an indictment and arrest happens, he wants it to be public,” the source said.

“They are loving this stuff,” another source said, adding they believed an indictment would “help him with his base” as he campaigns for the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential election.

Mr Tacopina said in 2018 prior to representing Mr Trump that the payment to Ms Daniels was a “potential campaign finance issue” which was “fair game” for prosecutors.

At the time, he also communicated with the adult film star when she was seeking legal representation, which could now see him sidelined from his defence of Mr Trump.

It came as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – Mr Trump’s top rival to be the Republican nominee for president – revved up his campaign against him, as he said he was confident he could beat Joe Biden.

Mr DeSantis said the former president’s conduct was “outside my wheelhouse” and that he governed without “daily drama” and personal agendas.

Asked by Piers Morgan about Mr Trump’s attacks on him, Mr DeSantis said: “You can call me whatever you want, just as long as you call me a winner, because that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida.”

POLICE PREPARE FOR CHAOS OVER TRUMP ARREST

Police have scrambled to install steel barricades around a New York court where former US president Donald Trump is soon expected to be charged over hush money paid to a porn star.

Law enforcement agencies are also tracking signs of trouble on social media after the former president urged his supporters to protest and “take our nation back” over the expected indictment.

Mr Trump launched a tirade in a video shared on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday, saying he was the victim of a “Stormy ‘Horse Face’ Daniels extortion plot,” as his impending arrest loomed.

In the clip, the former president claimed he was being targeted by a series of “horrible radical left Democrat” investigations.

“Whether it’s the Mar-a-Lago raid, the Unselect Committee hoax, or the perfect Georgia phone call — it was absolutely perfect — or the Stormy ‘horse face’ Daniels extortion plot, they are all sick, and it’s fake news,” Mr Trump said.

“Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know that we are the only ones who can stop them and they know it very strongly.

“And they’re looking at the polls where not me, but we, are up by so much they can’t even believe it.

“We won twice, and now we’ve got to win a third time.”

NYPD drop off metal barricades in front of Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Picture: Getty Images.

Mr Trump went on to address his supporters in the video.

“They know that we can defeat them, they know that we will defeat them, but they are not coming after me — they are coming after you,” he said.

“I’m just standing in their way. And I always will stand in their way.”

Wow! It's a beautiful morning. It's always been my dream to sip coffee on my farm porch and watch my gorgeous horse graze. Anything exciting going on today?

— Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 21, 2023

And while senior Republicans have joined Mr Trump in lashing out at what they claim is a political prosecution, his top rival for the party’s nomination for next year’s presidential election needled him over the scandal.

Mr Trump has been in the sights of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over a $US130,000 ($A193,000) payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the final days of the 2016 presidential election.

The former president – who denies her claim that they had sex – faces being charged over falsifying business records to cover up the hush money, an offence that could be upgraded to a felony if prosecutors connect it to a violation of campaign donation laws.

Former US President Donald Trump faces being charged over falsifying business records to cover up hush money. Picture: AFP

Mr Trump took to his Truth Social network over the weekend to say he expected to be arrested on Tuesday in the US, which would make him the first president in history to be hit with criminal charges. It has since emerged that the earliest a possible indictment could be announced will be on Wednesday, local time.

He has since been rallying supporters to sign a petition opposing his arrest and donate to his 2024 campaign, as he vowed to “never surrender”.

“With the very fate of our republic on the line, never has there been a more important time to show these shadowy forces that ALL 74 MILLION Trump voters stand UNITED in peacefully defending our movement,” Mr Trump said in an email to supporters.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his colleagues vowed to launch congressional investigations into the prosecution, even as the Republican leader cautioned that people should not protest Mr Trump’s imminent arrest.

“I think President Trump, if you talk to him, he doesn’t believe that either,” Mr McCarthy said.

Former president Donald Trump has urged his supporters to protest and “take our nation back” over an expected indictment. Picture: Getty Images.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mr Trump’s likely opponent for the 2024 Republican nomination, also weighed in to criticise Mr Bragg’s “political agenda”.

But he added: “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just – I can’t speak to that.”

Porn star Stormy Daniels. Picture: Getty Images.

Mr Trump hit back in a social media post with a photo of his rival surrounded by teenage girls from his days as a teacher.

“Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future, as he gets older, wiser and better known, when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!),” he said.

“I’m sure he will want to fight these misfits just like I do!”

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said she would not “comment on any ongoing investigations”.