Manhattan DA wanted Trump arrested TOMORROW – but ex president’s team said no

Donald Trump was asked to surrender tomorrow after a grand jury voted to indict him – but his team refused, meaning he will face charges early next week.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the former president said the Secret Service needed more time to prepare, a law enforcement agency told Politics.

A Manhattan jury voted to indict Trump for paying $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

Trump has repeatedly called the case a “witch hunt,” coined by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

On Thursday, Bragg’s office reportedly asked Trump to surrender the following day, but Secret Service agents reportedly needed more time to report.

Lawyers acting on Trump’s behalf said he is expected to surrender early next week

The interaction was confirmed by Trump attorney Joe Tacopina.

Tacopina previously told NBC News that Trump plans to surrender “early next week.”

It comes as questions swirl about how the arrest will take place as Trump becomes the first ever former president in US history to face criminal charges.

He will be read his rights, fingerprinted and photographed for a mug shot just like any other defendant.

However, it is unclear whether he will be handcuffed. Trump is in a highly unusual position as he is legally protected by the Secret Service.

The allegations against Trump center around a $130,000 hush money payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, to Daniels, 44, during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The former president has always denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

But the case dogged him throughout his tenure after he launched a federal investigation.

Trump has accused Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg of plotting a political “witch hunt” against him. Bragg is pictured leaving his office following the jury’s verdict

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump over hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels

Sources close to Trump revealed Thursday evening that he felt “deep fear” about his impending arrest — despite his optimistic statements.

He’s kept a low profile at his Mar-a-Lago estate in recent weeks, dining with guests and playing golf.

He also allegedly told those close to him that he was in a good mood and thought the Bragg case had fallen apart.

But aides told the New York Times this was a “mask” for his concerns about the matter as he scaled back his social media posts.

Trump responded to news of the indictment with a furious statement calling it “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history.”

“I believe this witch hunt will backfire enormously on Joe Biden,” he said.

“The American people know exactly what the radical left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it.

“So our movement and our party – united and strong – will first defeat Alvin Bragg and then we will defeat Joe Biden and we are going to unseat every last one of these crooked Democrats so we can make America great again.”

News of Trump’s impeachment has divided the US political landscape, with fellow Republicans scrambling to defend the former president.

Trump played nine holes of golf at his West Palm Beach club on Thursday. His aides reportedly said his high-spirited mood recently was a “mask” for the “deep fear” he felt surrounding Bragg’s probe

Pictured, he speaks with Natalie Harp — who helps run his Truth Social account — at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Wednesday

Trump denounced the charges in an emailed statement. He said this “witch hunt will backfire enormously on Joe Biden” and predicted that Democrats will be voted out of office

Trump is expected to voluntarily travel to New York to be arrested. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted that he would make no effort to extradite the former president

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signaled Thursday that he would offer Trump a partial lifeline by promising to thwart his extradition to New York.

DeSantis – who is considered Trump’s biggest rival for the 2024 election – described the prosecution as “unAmerican” and vowed not to help any attempt to send Trump to New York to be arrested.

“Florida will not cooperate with an extradition request given the questionable circumstances with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” he said, referring to the fact that Alvin Bragg’s election campaign was supported by billionaire activist George Soros.