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According to a report by British publication The Guardian, former US President Donald Trump has told his advisors that he wants to be in handcuffs when he appears in court if he is indicted in the hush money case involving adult movie star Stormy Daniels. The reason behind this is that he wants to turn the entire ordeal into a spectacle since he would have to surrender for fingerprinting and a mug shot.
Sources close to Trump also said that he wants to be defiant in the face of what he perceives as an unfair prosecution, and that being handcuffed would make his base for the 2024 presidential campaign stronger. He is also perturbed that special arrangements, such as appearing in the court via video link and sitting quietly in the courtroom, will make him appear like a loser.
However, some of Trump’s close aides are unsure whether he is serious about being handcuffed and doing a “perp walk”. They are also concerned about whether he understands the seriousness of an indictment, since he has appeared disconnected at times from the investigation in the case.
Trump's legal team has suggested that he should quietly turn himself in next week and schedule a remote appearance, citing potential security concerns. However, Trump rejected this suggestion, saying he does not care if he gets shot at since he would become "a martyr". He also believes that if he gets shot, he will likely win the US presidency in 2024.
Sources have stated that Trump is focusing more on projecting an image of defiance against the prosecution when he eventually figures out his response to the case. He does not fear being slapped with criminal charges and believes that an indictment could prove to be a boon for him since it would enrage his Make America Great Again (MAGA) fanbase and force the Republican party to come together to defend him.
Trump is not the only one who believes that an indictment would better his electoral fortunes. Twitter CEO and the world's second richest person Elon Musk has also said that the firebrand Republican leader could secure a landslide victory if he gets arrested. In response to a user who asked whether Trump's arrest could spell his doom, Musk said that if this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory.
The "hush money case" against Trump is about him paying Stormi Daniels an amount of $130,000 through his former lawyer Michael Cohen in the final days of his 2016 campaign. He later reimbursed Cohen with $35,000 checks from his own personal funds.
