Trump, under investigation for 'sexual misconduct cover-up,' claims "I will be arrested by prosecutors on the 21st"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is under investigation for allegations of 'silencing a sexual misconduct scandal,' urged his supporters to take action in protest, claiming he would be arrested by prosecutors on the 18th (local time).

Former U.S. President Donald Trump. [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the same day, Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "The leading Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. president will be arrested next Tuesday (the 21st)," adding, "Let's protest and take back our country!"

Trump criticized the Manhattan District Attorney's Office as "corrupt and highly political," asserting that despite being unable to prove criminal charges, they are trying to arrest him based on an "old and already debunked fairy tale."

He cited the Manhattan DA's 'illegal leaked materials' as the basis for the arrest claim, although the authenticity of these materials has not been confirmed.

Currently, the Manhattan DA's Office in New York is investigating allegations that Trump manipulated records to pay a settlement to conceal an affair with a pornographic actress just before the 2016 presidential election, but it has not yet been confirmed whether he will be indicted.

Local media outlets are speculating that an indictment of Trump himself is imminent.

The New York Times (NYT), citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the Manhattan DA is expected to indict Trump, but the timing remains unclear.

The Associated Press (AP) analyzed that Trump appears to be preemptively stirring anger among his supporters before the prosecutors' official announcement, anticipating his indictment.

NYT and others pointed out that Trump's call for action from his supporters recalls the time immediately after his election defeat when he claimed election fraud and incited thousands of supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Meanwhile, Kevin McCarthy, the House Speaker affiliated with the Republican Party and a Trump supporter, tweeted that "an extremist prosecutor is absurdly abusing power by targeting former President Trump while letting violent criminals go free," and announced that he has ordered relevant standing committees to investigate whether government funds are being used for politically motivated prosecutions aimed at election interference.