With former president Donald Trump insisting that he is will be arrested as early as Tuesday, meetings were reportedly held between city, state and federal law enforcement agencies to prepare for mass protests or riots.
The talks come as far-right forums have been flooded with ideas on how to keep Trump out of the clink – with one person suggesting Trump supporters was to create a “Patriot Moat” around the former president’s estate at Mar-a-lago in South Florida so law enforcement cannot enter.
Police in Palm Beach, Florida, did not respond to questions from The Daily Beast about the threats. But sources in the New York Police Department told The Daily Beast that their officers will closely monitor social media as well as intelligence from federal authorities and other police departments to assess the size of any protests.
If a significant demonstration materializes in the next week, NYPD sources said the force may deploy the Strategic Response Group, a roughly 700-hundred-member unit trained in “disorder control.” If necessary, the department could escalate that response by deploying a Level 4 alert — which would put eight officers and a sergeant on alert in each precinct.
Trump believes arrest imminent, calls for MAGA protests to ‘take back our nation’
While online threats remained the same as of Saturday night, law enforcement at all levels appears to be preparing to prevent mass violence from erupting, as it did at the Capitol riot on January 6. It was reported by CNN.
That preparation has reportedly led to meetings between senior staff from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office — which could potentially indict Trump as early as next week over alleged hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels — officers who provide security at the state Supreme Court building in lower Manhattan and New York City Police Department.
After Trump’s Saturday barrage of messages about Truth Social – including calls for nationwide protests– some of his most hardcore followers online started tossing around ideas. On the pro-Trump and far-right internet forum “The Donald”, violent protest ideas began to gain widespread support.
“Surround Mar-A-Lago or wherever he is and prevent ‘law enforcement’ from entering,” wrote one commenter, receiving hundreds of upvotes.
Another user replied: “What if they use helicopters to bypass the Patriot moat?”
The idea of creating a protective barrier around Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate led to talk of what type of rifle ammunition could bring down low-flying aircraft sent to take the former president into custody.
Earlier Saturday morning, “Stop the Steal” leader Ali Alexander suggested “100,000 patriots” should “close all routes to Mar-a-Lago.”
Despite the public call for action, Alexander said he would not participate in such an event.
Likewise, Alexander claimed on Telegram to have spoken with the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones—who also expressed zero interest in organizing another protest in Trump’s name.
“He doesn’t protest either,” he added of Jones. “We’ve both had enough of fighting the government. No billionaire is footing our bills.”
During an “emergency” Saturday broadcastJones tried to carefully thread the needle between supporting Trump’s calls for protests over a possible impeachment — and warning his own supporters about potential fallout from such events turning violent.
“Don’t be provoked [sic] into violence,” Jones said as he warned his supporters about questionable agents trying to hijack pro-Trump rallies.
Neither Alexander nor Jones immediately returned The Daily Beast’s requests for comment.
But it’s not just Jones and Alexander, many in Trumpworld have not heard of concrete plans for protests.
“Negative,” January 6 lawyer and pro-Trump pundit Joseph McBride told The Daily Beast. “Just a bunch of prayer guards,” he added.
Other ultra-MAGA personalities lashed out at Trump for even suggesting protests after the events of January 6th.
“The last time Trump’s biggest fans protested on his behalf, he let them all rot in jail without so much as a dime from him in legal fees,” says right-wing pundit Jesse Kelly. wrote. “Not a cent. Shame on him for this. Do NOT go to a blue area and protest this man. Ignore this.”
Similarly, Steve Bannon ally Grace Chong discouraged Trump supporters from attending protests, while declare: “Don’t be stupid.”
If Trump were to be indicted, authorities would set a date and time for his surrender, after which he would be formally arraigned and taken for fingerprints and a mugshot. That could prompt both pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters to meet at Manhattan Criminal Court — a meeting that officials fear could cause a violent clash, CNN reported.
New York City police and the FBI have also coordinated a contingency plan to deal with an increase in threats against the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his staff, if Trump’s extremist supporters-who Proud boys– were to target them, CNN reported, citing a source.
Part of these discussions is also how to physically transport Trump. Secret Service agents in charge of Trump’s details in South Florida and those in New York are reportedly coordinating how to get Trump into the district attorney’s office through throngs of protesters and media. Part of that discussion has also included the need to secure an area for a possible press conference outside the courthouse or at Trump Tower.
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