US President Donald Trump asked his advisors that he wants to remain in handcuffs when he presented before court, in the event of a Manhattan grand jury indicts him for his role in paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, the Guardian reported citing people familiar with the matter.
The people mentioned above told the news outlet that the former US president wants the whole event to be “a spectacle” and is aiming for drama if he is required to go to the courthouse and surrender himself to law enforcement for fingerprinting and a mug shot.
They also said that the Republican wants to project to his supporters that he is defiant because he believes that he is being unfairly prosecuted. He also believes that it will ignite his base for the 2024 presidential campaign.
He was also anxious that special arrangements could be made and he could be asked to appear in court via video link. They said he fears that in such a case it would make him look weak or “like a loser”.
Donald Trump’s legal team in the hush money case do not approve of him going in person in front of the grand jury. The former president was advised to turn himself in quietly and schedule a remote appearance, the Guardian said in its report.
Donald Trump ditched these suggestions and said he does not care even if he gets shot. The people cited here told Guardian that the real estate mogul-turned-politician wants to portray himself as a martyr and he believes that such an image would boost his electoral chances.
It remains unclear if the Manhattan grand jury will return an indictment in the hush money case, making Trump the first US President, sitting or former, to face criminal charges
His advisers also felt that the former president does not understand the gravity of what that indictment would mean for him legally.
His advisers also said Trump has appeared disconnected at times and when he sits down with his legal team he only discusses how he can appear defiant in front of the prosecution, rather than pondering on the criminal charges that he may face which could turn out to be a felony.
The Stormy Daniels case revolves around Trump paying $130,000 to the adult film actor through his then-lawyer Michael Cohen in the final days of the 2016 campaign. Trump reimbursed Cohen with $35,000 from his own funds which he recorded as legal expenses for Cohen’s services.
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