Michael Cohen says calls for protest of Manhattan DA are ‘eerily similar’ to January 6 ‘battle cry’
Donald Trump’s former lawyer said he thinks the ex-president hopes to spark a “violent clash” similar to the January 6 riot, with recent social media reports of his impending arrest.
Michael Cohen said Trump’s messages this week were “uncannily similar” to the “war cry” he uttered during a 2021 speech, which many believe was a disguised order for protesters to invade the US Capitol building and disrupt the electoral process.
On Saturday morning, Trump wrote to Truth Social that information had been leaked to him from the Manhattan district attorney’s office suggesting he be arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation into hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels while running for president . in 2016.
In the post, Trump called on his supporters to “protest, take our nation back!” a statement Cohen told MSNBC was notable for the former president’s decision not to include the word “peaceful.”
Trump’s post has already caused a stir among his supporters, with some planning to band together to create a “MAGA moat” around his Mar-a-Lago compound, and others calling out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to refuse extradition to New York authorities.
Cohen added that it was likely Trump hoped an arrest would rally his supporters and boost his 2024 presidential campaign.
Michael Cohen said Donald Trump was likely trying to use the possibility of an arrest as a rallying point for his supporters and a boost to his campaign
On Saturday night, Trump appeared at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he threw a defiant fist at the crowd and received a standing ovation.
Cohen, who admitted to organizing the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels and pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws in 2018, spoke to MSNBC Saturday after Trump released his post.
“It’s eerily similar to the rallying cry he uttered just before the January 6 uprising, you know, especially including the call, you know, for protest,” he said.
“And I agree, it would have been smart if Donald had written ‘peaceful protest’, but he doesn’t want a peaceful protest.”
Writing in all caps on Saturday, Trump claimed to have received information about his impending arrest through leaks within the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT LAW FIRM, WHICH HAS SET NEW RECORDS IN VIOLENT CRIMS & WHOSE LEADER IS FINANCED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITHOUT CRIME, CAN BE PROVED, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULL DISCOVERY ( BY COUNTLESS OTHER Prosecutors!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!’ He wrote.
Cohen said it was doubtful there were any leaks at all, but that Trump was most likely informed of their plans by the prosecutor as standard operating procedure.
“Knowing Donald as I do, I see no reason why Donald would have released the statement unless he, or his team, has been contacted by the district attorney’s office and informed accordingly,” he said.
“This is precisely him responding to information he has and not to leaks, as he would like to say, by the district attorney’s office,” he said. “There are no leaks from the district attorney’s office, I can tell you that for sure. This is all coming from the Trump camp.”
Donald Trump’s former lawyer said he thinks the ex-president hopes to trigger a ‘violent clash’ similar to the January 6 riot with recent social media reports of his impending arrest
Cohen also said it was likely that Trump and his campaign team were trying to use an arrest as a rallying point for his supporters.
“These fools representing him, this clown show of lawyers, think this is going to drive him into the White House by having another violent insurrection,” he said.
But more importantly for Donald, it’s all about the big grit. He will try to capitalize on this action by soliciting contributions to protect him, your favorite president, from the racist Alvin Bragg and all the, you know, left-wingers.”
On Saturday night, Trump appeared at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he threw a defiant fist at the crowd and received a standing ovation.
Manhattan District Attorney Bragg released a memo saying his office would not tolerate harassment tactics, as well as reassuring office staff about their safety, claiming that law enforcement is on alert to investigate any threats.
He did not name Trump, but said the threats were related to an “ongoing investigation by this agency.”
“Please know that your safety is our top priority,” Bragg said in the memo first reported by Politico.
“We will not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York,” he added.