Donald Trump will become the first US president since Ulysses S. Grant to be arrested after a Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict him. on charges related to a secret money payment to a porn star stormy daniels.
The explosive indictment comes after the 45th president announced he expected to be arrested earlier this month by New York authorities after his lawyers paid Daniels a total of $130,000 to keep quiet about his alleged affair.
Trump, 76, has been dogged by legal scandals in recent years, but has never before been arrested in connection with any crime.
He will be the first president to be handcuffed since 19th century leader Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over for speeding on his horse and buggy. The eighteenth president was stopped by a police officer in 1876, and officer William West told him, “Duty is duty, sir, and I shall have you arrested.”
Trump, 76, will become the first US president since Ulysses S Grant to be arrested after a Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to impeach him.
The eighteenth president was arrested for speeding his horse and buggy in 1876
A mother and her son were reportedly injured by a cyclist, and police discovered that the president was among the reckless cyclists in the area.
Grant was reportedly a “notorious speed demon” who had previously been warned about his speed and claimed he did not know he was going too fast.
Although his buggy did not have a speedometer, it was the second time he had been caught running on the roads of the capital and he finally paid $20 to walk for free.
Despite Thursday’s impeachment announcement, Trump’s arrest in connection with the payments would not prevent him from becoming president and taking command of the White House again.
The only rules restricting who can run for the highest office is that they be a US citizen by birth and age 35 or older.
President Richard Nixon also came close to being arrested amid the infamous Watergate scandal after he conspired to cover up his administration’s involvement in the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC in 1972.
The Supreme Court ruled that recordings made on a recording system in the Oval Office must be turned over to government investigators, and the House charged Nixon with obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress in 1973.
He refused to be impeached and became the first president to resign in August 1974, resulting in nearly 50 people being convicted of various illegal activities in connection with the conspiracy.
The eighteenth president was stopped by a police officer in 1876, and officer William West told him, “Duty is duty, sir, and I shall have to place you under arrest.”
Trump also became the first president to have his home raided by the FBI, after they pounced on Mar-a-Lago in connection with classified files the former president had hidden in his Florida hideout.
President Richard Nixon also came close to being arrested after conspiring to cover up his administration’s involvement in the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC in 1972.
Nixon’s vice president, Gerald Ford, pardoned Nixon, citing national unity, meaning Congress lost the opportunity to hold him accountable.
However, following the measure, Congress passed the Presidential Records Act, which mandates how presidents and vice presidents must manage their records.
It means that the Archivist of the United States takes ownership of the presidential records after one or two terms and decides whether a president can retain documents.
Trump also became the first president to have his home raided by the FBI, after they pounced on Mar-a-Lago in connection with classified files the former president had allegedly hidden in his Florida hideout.
The archivist has been negotiating the return of the classified documents, and Trump faces the possibility of being disqualified from holding public office if he is found to have “deliberately and unlawfully concealed or removed” those documents.
A Trump spokesman said he is “rightfully highlighting his innocence and the use of weapons of our system of injustice.”
Trump’s lawyer said the former president continues to deny the substance of the allegations of a sexual relationship with Daniels (pictured with Trump), calling the $130,000 a “nuisance payment” that rich or famous people sometimes pay to make disappear a distracting situation.
Grant’s buggy had no speedometer, but it was the second time he had been caught racing on the capital’s roads and he eventually paid $20 to walk for free.
Nixon refused to be impeached and became the first president to resign in August 1974, resulting in nearly 50 people being convicted of various illegal activities in connection with the conspiracy.
Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, said: “Here we go again: an outrageous abuse of power by a radical district attorney who lets violent criminals walk while seeking political revenge against President Trump.”
“I am directing the relevant committees to immediately investigate whether federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.”
Earlier this month, the former president and 2024 hopeful was invited to testify before a Manhattan grand jury, and his mediator and former attorney Michael Cohen testified Monday.
Cohen served jail time after pleading guilty in two criminal cases, one of which involved the use of campaign funds in connection with Daniels and another woman who allegedly had an affair with Trump.
He said he had been acting on his orders and that the bribes were supposed to keep love affairs out of the public eye ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has admitted reimbursing Cohen.
Daniels met with prosecutors Wednesday to answer more questions about the case, and his attorney, Clark Brewster, said he would also be available as a witness in the future, if necessary.
Cohen has also indicated that he has given the grand jury damning testimony implicating Trump. He testified for three hours.
Daniels met with prosecutors earlier this month to answer further questions about the case and tweeted his thanks to his attorney for “assisting me in our continued fight for truth and justice.”
The archivist is the one who has been negotiating the return of the classified documents, and Trump faces the possibility of being disqualified from holding public office if he is found to have “deliberately and unlawfully concealed or removed” those documents.