Pence describes possible charges against Trump as politically motivated
Nfter former President Donald Trump announced that he would be arrested on Tuesday, some of his associates and supporters jumped to his side. Former Vice President Mike Pence has described the criminal investigation into Trump as “politically motivated,” former Secretary of the Trump Administration Ben Carson tweeted about a “political witch hunt,” and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy described the trial as “a egregious abuse of power”.
Donald Trump, who is campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, wrote of his impending arrest in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday. “The overwhelmingly leading Republican candidate and former President of the United States of America will be arrested next Tuesday. Protest, take back our nation!” he wrote early Saturday morning. He did not provide any evidence for his claim.
Former US Vice President Mike Pence addressed the President’s contribution in an interview with ABC television. The possible indictment “of a former American president at a time when New York is suffering from a crime wave” stunned him. That the Manhattan Attorney’s Office is now taking action against Trump “tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country,” said Pence, who is believed to be running for the Republican presidential nomination. “It feels like politically motivated prosecution, and I don’t think it’s what the American people want.” had to endure during the Russia scam.”
Pence had distanced himself from Trump and openly criticized the former president after the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when some protesters shouted “Hang Mike Pence”. As recently as last week, he said history would hold Trump accountable. However, he did not want to ask Trump to withdraw from the presidential campaign: “Look, this is a free country. Everyone can make their own decisions,” Pence said.
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The background to Trump’s announcement is the Manhattan Attorney’s investigation into payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels. She claimed to have had sex with Trump in 2006. Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified in 2018 that he paid Daniels $130,000 on Trump’s behalf for her silence and was later compensated by his firm. These expenses were declared as campaign costs, said Cohen. He also initiated payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. This had also reported on an affair with Trump. The rights to her story were then bought by the tabloid National Enquirer with the intention of never publishing it.
Trump’s announcement was likely prompted by media reports of an imminent indictment—not an arrest—of Trump by the Manhattan Attorney’s Office. However, as a Trump spokesman said, his team has no idea when that should be. The public prosecutor’s office did not comment on the process. Trump has consistently maintained his innocence since the investigation began.
