After being surprised by the news of Trump indictment for paying Stormy Daniels hush money in 2016, Donald Trump met with his closest advisors at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday to discuss political strategy.
Trump led in a Yahoo news poll (Yahoo News Poll)
Poll for Possible 2023 Opponents Amid Trump Indictment
The former president was buoyed by the post-Trump indictment polls that put him far ahead of his expected 2024 opponent, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida and other challengers running in the Republican primary. Trump was beating DeSantis 57% to 31% as shown in a Yahoo news poll, a one-on-one matchup and 52% against a 10-candidate field that included DeSantis at 21% and Trump’s UN envoy, Nikki Haley. McLaughlin and Associates polled 1,000 likely 2024 general election voters and found Trump leading DeSantis 63% to 30%, up from January’s 52% to 40%.
The sudden rise in polling and reversal by possible 2024 rivals to defend the former president over Trump indictment surprised some of Trump’s advisors. Trump took his closest rivals’ reluctance to talk to him directly about the charges as a sign that he is still the Republican nomination’s frontrunner and reinforced their trouble in getting voters to renounce him while trying to succeed him. Trump’s fundraising figures showed his strength with Maga. On Friday, the Trump team reported that it had raised over $4m and recruited over 16,000 volunteers in the 24 hours following the indictment.
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First Former President and Current Presidential Candidate with Criminal Indictment
Trump gave Daniels $130,000 through Cohen in the final days of the 2016 campaign. Trump paid Cohen $35,000 in personal funds for legal costs. Cohen admitted federal crimes in 2018. Trump’s legal team expects district attorney Alvin Bragg to charge him with felony falsifying company records, but the charges are under seal. After becoming the first former president criminally charged with Trump indictment issue, Trump’s counsel, Joe Tacopina, said that his client would not accept a plea deal. “No crime,” Tacopina said.
For 10 days, crowd control barriers have been built for the ex-president’s arraignment at Manhattan’s criminal courthouse at 100 Centre St. Trump indictments and criminal trials include burglary for taking paintings from West Village townhouse, also a thwarted terrorist attack on a Jewish community, another is illegal sale of firearms, a murder for an East Harlem hammer attack, a murder and attempted murder for multiple homeless men attack, murder and a criminal possession of weapon for East Harlem car shooting, and grand larceny for sim-card swapping.
New York police have issued a memo ordering officers to wear uniforms and prepare for mobilization. In a memo to the DA’s 1,600 employees, Bragg admitted to getting threatening and offensive phone calls and emails. Bragg thanked his staff for enduring “additional press attention and security around our office” to ensure their safety. Trump’s hearing will not include a “perp walk” or handcuffs, and his booking photo may be released. Trump “wants the mugshot out” to boost his presidential campaign funding.
