Former President Donald Trump is reportedly daydreaming about getting hauled away against his will in front of the media, seeing a potential indictment as a means for a publicity stunt.
At Mar-a-Lago, Trump has reportedly fantasized about various aspects of the possible indictment, speculating openly about whether he should smile for the camera and how the public would react, The New York Times and The Guardian reported, citing anonymous sources.
He has even reportedly suggested that he wouldn’t care about being shot, because being a “martyr” could win him the 2024 election, according to the Guardian.
Those close to Trump are not certain if the former president’s reported comments are genuine, both the NYT and The Guardian noted. More than anything, Trump reportedly hopes to appear “defiant” in the wake of an indictment, and not go away quietly in shame.
“He wants to be defiant — to show the world that if they can try to do this to him, they can do it to anyone,” one anonymous source who reportedly spoke to Trump told the New York Times.
“I don’t think Trump is happy about the thought of being arrested. No one would be happy about getting indicted. I’m sure he sees how there is a political benefit to being the target of a Democrat District Attorney, but I don’t think he’s looking forward to having his fingerprints taken,” a Republican operative familiar with Trump’s campaign efforts told the Daily Caller.
There are no reports that Trump, if charged, would be made to walk past reporters. If he’s indicted and surrenders on his own volition, Secret Service would likely handle the situation to avoid a media extravaganza, The New York Times reported.
Trump does not want to shrink back from the media, and would want to make the arrest into a “spectacle,” due to anxiety that going away quietly would “make him look weak or like a loser,” The Guardian reported. (RELATED: Some Democrats View Potential Trump Indictment As Risky, ‘Big Boost’ In Primaries)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 22: Laurie Arbeiter lays down anti former President Donald Trump posters near the offices of the Manhattan District Attorney on March 22, 2023 in New York City. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg cancelled the upcoming meeting of the grand jury that has been hearing evidence of his investigation into former President Donald Trump’s involvement in a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election as the former president awaits an indictment announcement. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The possible indictment looming over Trump relates to allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump initially said Saturday on Truth Social that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday — and that his supporters should be ready to protest — but no arrest came.
Since Saturday, Trump has reportedly spent the last few days golfing, being a D.J. at a party, and watching the N.C.A.A. Division I wrestling championships, the NYT reported.
The grand jury in Manhattan that will decide if Trump will be indicted was delayed and told not to meet on Wednesday. It’s not clear if the jury will indict Trump, and when the vote would come, but a source close to the Trump legal team told CNN they are not expecting an arrest or appearance in Manhattan before next week.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry from the Daily Caller.