Why does Trump want to be handcuffed if arrested for the Stormy Daniels case?
Donald Trump reportedly wants to be handcuffed in the event that he is arrested for his involvement in paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
Former president Donald Trump claimed that he was to be arrested this week on charges involving hush-money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels, and now reports indicate that he wants to be placed in handcuffs in the event that this happens.
According to reports from The New York Times and The Guardian, the ex-president has told advisers that he wants to turn his arrest into a “spectacle”.
Per those accounts, Trump’s reasoning is that if he gets indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his role in Daniels’ payment, he would need to go to the courthouse and turn himself in to have his fingerprints and mugshots taken anyway, so he might as well make a show of it.
It’s all about appearances
The 76-year-old is reportedly insistent on being handcuffed behind his back and doing a perp walk because it would make him appear defiant as he faces what he has called a politically motivated prosecution. He believes that this in turn would result in enraging his MAGA base and spurring them into action, giving a boost to his 2024 bid to return to the White House.
Another motivation for his desire to be cuffed is said to be that special arrangements such as making an online appearance or turning himself in at the courthouse without fanfare would make him appear weak.
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Trump sees opportunity in possibly getting shot
According to The Guardian, the former president said that he did not care if he got shot as that would make him a martyr, or make him win the presidency in the coming election.
However, District Attorney Alvin Bragg may prevent him from getting his wish, if he rules that Trump should not be handcuffed nor paraded in front of the cameras if and when he is arrested.