BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES

Manhattan Prosecutors Signal to Trump That Indictment Is Coming: Report

Trump’s lawyers were told that he could testify in front of a grand jury hearing evidence on an alleged hush-money arrangement next week if he wishes.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office recently gave Donald Trump’s lawyers the clearest signal yet that it plans to file criminal charges against the former president, The New York Times reported Thursday. This hint came in the form of an offer for Trump to go before a grand jury currently hearing evidence about his alleged role in a hush-money arrangement with a porn star, four people familiar with the matter told the Times. He could give his testimony, if he wishes, as soon as next week. Such offers, according to the newspaper, “almost always” signify an impending indictment. If District Attorney Alvin Bragg ultimately chooses to indict Trump, it will be the first criminal charges the former president has ever faced, and could throw a wrench in the gears of his campaign to get back into the White House in 2024. On Thursday evening, Trump released a 500-word statement on Truth Social in response to the report, once again calling the inquiry a “witch hunt,” and claiming he did “absolutely nothing” wrong. “I never had an affair with Stormy Daniels, nor would I have wanted to have an affair with Stormy Daniels,” he insisted.