Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Saturday predicted that former President Donald Trump will be re-elected in a “landslide” if he is indicted — or possibly arrested and potentially “handcuffed” — next week.
“If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory,” Musk tweeted.
Musk was reacting to a news segment which detailed how the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has asked for a meeting with law enforcement ahead of a possible Trump indictment of next week.
According to a court source, the meeting was requested Thursday and hasn’t been set. The meeting is to “discuss logistics for some time next week, which would mean that they are anticipating an indictment next week,” the source familiar with the planning said. Secret Service is expected to take the lead on what they will allow and won’t allow — for instance, the decision of whether to handcuff Trump.
If this happens, it will be the beginning of Trump’s reelection. https://t.co/sQJsHsrib0
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) March 17, 2023
The potential indictment stems from the lengthy investigation surrounding Trump’s alleged payment of “hush money” to actress Stormy Daniels. Toward the end of the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen sent $130,000 to Daniels to prevent her from disclosing a 2006 affair with Trump. Trump, who denies the affair, reimbursed Cohen through installments. The office, led by DA Alvin Bragg, has been investigating the hush money scandal — which took place in 2016 — for the past five years.
On Saturday morning, Trump posted about the possible indictment on Truth Social, indicating that he will be “ARRESTED ON TUESDAY.”
Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
“NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!,” Trump wrote.
Reached for comment Friday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office would neither “confirm or comment” on the impending indictment.
The potential for an indictment re-sparked conversation online about how it could affect Trump’s 2024 White House bid, and renewed claims from Trump allies that the probe was politically motivated.
“It’s ALL FOR POLITICS! This is what they do in communists countries to destroy their political opponents! Republicans in Congress MUST subpoena these communists and END this!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted.
You break the law, you go to jail.
Whomp whomp marj. https://t.co/RoAA7J6V9N
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) March 18, 2023
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a vocal Trump opponent, fired back: “You break the law, you go to jail. Whomp whomp marj.”
Author Scott Adams shared Musk’s sentiment that the indictment could boost Trump’s election chances.
“If they handcuff Trump, he is your next president,” he said.
Others weren’t so sure. Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent noted that there had been similar predictions of scandals boosting Trump that had failed to pan out.
“Yet again we’re told holding Trump accountable for corruption/crimes will lead to GOP victories. But this hasn’t happened. People said impeachment would cause backlash, but he lost reelex,” he said. “People said 1/6 committee would cause backlash, but Rs dramatically underperformed in 2022.”
