Former Manhattan DA suggests Trump’s comments about Alvin Bragg could lead to more charges

Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr has suggested that Donald Trump’s comments about Alvin Bragg could see him face even more charges in the hush money case.

Mr Vance – who launched the investigation into Mr Trump before he left office and was succeeded by Mr Bragg – told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he was “disturbed” about the former president’s comments in light of his criminal indictment.

“I’ve got to say that I was disturbed to hear the former president speak in the way he spoke about the district attorney Bragg, and even the trial court in the past week,” he said.

“And I think if I were his lawyer – and believe me, no one has called up to ask for my advice – I would be mindful of not committing some other criminal offence like obstruction of governmental administration, which is interfering with or by threat or otherwise the operation of government.

“And I think that could take what perhaps we think is not the strongest case — when you add a count like that, put it in front of a jury, it can change the jury’s mind about the severity of the case that they’re looking at.”

As well as potential obstruction charges, Mr Trump could also face charges of making threats to the prosecutor or he could be placed under a gag order to prevent him speaking further about the case.

Both before and in the days after his criminal indictment, Mr Trump has rolled out the violent rhetoric about the man who is pursuing criminal charges against him.

In one Truth Social post prior to the indictment, he shared an image of himself wielding a baseball bat next to Mr Bragg’s head.

In another, he warned there would be “death and destruction“ if he was to be indicted.

The former president had claimed that he was going to be arrested on 21 March and called on his supporters to “TAKE OUR NATION BACK” in an irate Truth Social post.

The date came and went with no charges and only a handful of pro-Trump supporters gathered outside the Manhattan Criminal Court to protest the looming indictment.

Then on Thursday 30 March, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges over hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels days just before the 2016 presidential election.

Now, he will appear in New York on Tuesday 4 April to be arrested on what is said to be around 30 criminal charges.

New York is bracing for his arraignment, with a heavy police presence and barricades erected around Manhattan Criminal Court where he will appear to face charges.

Multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI have been working on security plans amid concerns of potential unrest.

The former president announced on Truth Social that he is heading to the Empire State on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s historic day – where he will become the first current or former US president to ever be arrested and charged with a crime.

“I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York,” he wrote.

“On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!”

Like all defendants facing criminal charges, he will be processed, with his fingerprints and mug shot taken.

Mr Trump is then scheduled to appear for his arraignment before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15pm on Tuesday.

The former president has indicated it will likely only be a fleeting court appearance as he expects to be back at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to deliver a prime-time address just hours later at 8.15pm ET.

It is currently unclear what Mr Trump is charged with but multiple reports say that he is facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud. The charges are expected to be unsealed at his arraignment.

Mr Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina continued the fighting talk as he said the former president was “gearing up for battle” over the case.

“He’s someone who’s going to be ready for this fight,” Mr Tacopina told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

“We’re ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him.”

He added: “He’s gearing up for a battle. This is something that, obviously, we believe is a political persecution and I think people on both sides of the aisle believe that. It’s a complete abuse of power.

Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating whether Mr Trump falsified the Trump Organization’s business records when his former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen made the payment of $130,0000 to Ms Daniels.

Prosecutors claim that the money was used to silence Ms Daniels about an alleged affair she had with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump has long denied having an affair with the adult film star.

Cohen was convicted of tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations related to the payments to Ms Daniels. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

In recent weeks, the probe ramped up with both Cohen and Ms Daniels testifying before the grand jury.

Mr Trump was also invited to testify. Though it was an invite he unsurprisingly turned down, it was a strong sign an indictment was on the way.

But – despite his rampant Truth Social posts and his legal team going on a media blitz over the past few weeks – Mr Trump is said to have been caught off guard by news of the indictment.

Since then, he has blasted the charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge expected to oversee his case in furious Truth Social posts fuming about what he claims is “political prosecution” and a “witch hunt”.

The unprecedented indictment makes Mr Trump the first current or former president to ever face criminal charges in the history of the US.