Former US President Donald Trump returned to the forefront of American and global events again, after he called on his supporters to demonstrate in support of him, saying that he would be arrested next Tuesday, in anticipation of the possibility of formal charges being brought against him, in the case of providing suspicious sums of money years ago.
Trump’s calls coincide with the recovery of his accounts on social media platforms, the most important of which are YouTube and Facebook, where he has 34 million followers on Facebook. "Facebook"and more than 2.6 million followers on Facebook "The YouTube". This comes weeks after his account was also restored on Twitter, which he had previously been banned from due to his support for the violent demonstrations of his supporters that stormed the Capitol buildings that represent the headquarters of Congress, after losing the 2022 presidential elections, to the current President Joe Biden, which the former president refused to acknowledge. .
And the former Republican president (2017-2021), who announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election in his account on his private social platform Truth Social, wrote on Saturday morning, in a post in large letters: "Pretend! Take back our country!". He warned against lawsuits, bearing in mind that if a conviction takes place, it will be something that happens for the first time to a former president in the United States, in the event that he is arrested or even just formally charged.
The investigation focuses on paying $130,000, weeks before the 2016 presidential election, to buy an actress’s silence about a relationship years ago, which would have harmed Trump’s fortunes, who ran and won those presidential elections.
Although paying this amount is in itself legal in the United States, it poses a problem given that the New York Attorney General’s Office, which is leading the investigation, treats it as a hidden donation within the framework of the president’s campaign, which is a violation of electoral financing laws, and an illegal contribution. legitimate on the campaign trail, as his candidacy for the country’s highest office benefited from her silence, the attorney general’s office says.
Trump’s new reference comes against the backdrop of leaks from the New York State Attorney General’s office in the Manhattan area, and rumors have been brewing for days, about the possibility of a possible criminal indictment in the case of actress Stormy Daniels by a grand jury, a citizens’ committee with extensive investigative powers responsible for certifying the case. The indictment, in which Trump described the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected judge and Democrat, as… "Very corrupt and politicized".
It is noteworthy in the new case that his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who became one of his staunch enemies following subsequent disputes between them, is responsible for paying the actress $ 130,000. Michael Cohen, who was convicted in this case, testified at least twice before the grand jury in this investigation last week.
And that is not the only charge that pursues him, as there is a fraud suit from New York State worth $ 250 million facing Trump, and alleging a scheme that lasted for ten years, to manipulate more than 200 valuations of assets and his net worth, to win better terms from banks and insurance companies, but Trump described the lawsuits It’s a plot.
However, if the conviction takes place, its potential consequences for Trump’s march in his campaign for a new presidential term cannot be ascertained, and he has confirmed that he does not intend to withdraw his candidacy even if he is convicted, in light of the possibility that months, or years in some cases, may pass before the prosecution issues the accusation. .
In addition, the conviction does not legally prevent Trump from running in the 2024 presidential elections, but according to electoral norms, it may be a material for electoral squabbles between the competitors to win the support of the bases supporting the Republican Party, amid controversy that may accompany any candidate convicted of charges of providing suspicious sums of money. .
This protest call from Trump raises new concerns for the US authorities, reminding the street of the echoes of the call he made in 2020, claiming that the presidential elections "stolen" From him, to push thousands of his supporters to demonstrate in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent the ratification of Joe Biden’s election as president. The violent protests caused a political earthquake and a security event that violated all the usual protocols, angered Trump himself and opened the door to prosecutions and trials against the people who disrupted the most important legislative institution in the United States.
He considered the speech he delivered at that time a prelude to an attack launched by his supporters on the Capitol building, the seat of the legislative authority, in an event that shocked America and the world, although he was acquitted in a congressional trial, and he was not convicted of responsibility for what happened, because the number of voters against him at the time did not reach the necessary quorum. It is two-thirds of the members, but Trump, who survived a number of legal cases without being charged in them, may see this threat come true this time soon.
The repercussions of Trump’s statements caused reactions among many who were angry at him, including the former Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who was inside the Capitol building at the time of the attack on him in 2022, and said that "Trump’s announcement this morning is dangerous"accusing him of wanting to "Continue to make headlines and excite his supporters"according to what she said.
It is also expected that his statements will ignite the enthusiasm of some of his supporters, especially since he wrote on the Facebook and YouTube platforms at the first appearance after the accounts were restored. "I had returned" Accompanied by a clip that lasted 12 seconds and said "Sorry to keep you waiting – it’s a complicated business"This was met with thousands of comments, many of which were in favor of his return on those platforms.
Trump’s return to communication platforms sparked legal and social controversy, as the prosecution took Trump’s offensive posts on social media as evidence in the lawsuits filed against him and his administration. In addition, activist groups such as "Media Matters for America" Allowing Trump to exploit the communication capabilities provided by the technology giants, and the Facebook application operator, Meta, has been accused "By ignoring Trump’s continued risks to public safety".
Campaign experts say Trump’s surprising victory in the 2016 election is partly due to his influence on social media and his massive digital reach. It is reported that Trump still enjoys wide popularity among his voters despite his defeat in the presidential elections, and the criticism he was subjected to due to the violence that occurred in January in the Congressional Complex. An opinion poll in February 2023 revealed that 46 percent of voters who voted for Trump previously would vote for him again if he established a new party, which Trump himself ruled out for fear of defections within the Republican Party.
