Trump fans pledge to protest after potential arrest announcement

On Saturday morning, former President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he expects to be arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday. And he called on his followers to take to the streets and protest.

However, some Trump supporters and conservatives are not taking to his call to take to the streets as enthusiastically as the former president might hope, fearing the government might mistakenly round them up and jail them.

“Exactly what they want. They will propel us into another 6th of January narrative, but on a larger scale. As soon as we gather to protest, the FBI will be there to stoke the flames. Still having fun? We have to play chess here. Do not react emotionally to this injustice.” wrote Steve Deace from The Blaze.

Trump’s announcement of a possible arrest follows reports that a major New York probe into a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election has come to an end.

The jury reportedly heard testimonies from Daniels and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen earlier in the week. Trump is under investigation for possibly directing Cohen to make the payment. According to NBC New York, officials have been discussing potential security measures if the president is impeached and has to be indicted in New York City.

Trump’s attorney told CNBC that if impeached, the president would readily capitulate. But his posts on Truth Social, his channel of choice after receiving bans on social media, suggest he wants his supporters to champion his cause.

But after the numerous arrests following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and the belief that the violence there was instigated by federal officials to round up Trump supporters, some of his fans are wary of taking to the streets and ending up in jail.

“If Trump is indicted – stay away from protests. The Feds want nothing more than to lure people into another J6. Don’t fall for it. It’s useless,” wrote podcaster Eric Matheny.

“Sad times for our country. We’ve all seen what the federal government is doing to J6 participants. They would like to gain more Trump supporters. Please be careful when attending protests. Federal agencies are becoming agitators,” wrote journalist Breanna Morello.

Similar comments were made on Truth Social, warning that the Biden administration would like to host another Jan. 6 event where it could jail numerous more Trump fans.

“‘Echoing January 6th’?” wrote Liz Harrington, quoting a New York Times Headline. “So you mean the FBI plans to infiltrate peaceful protests to foment violence and then blame patriots so they can arrest and jail more of their political opponents?”

“Beware of protests!!!!! FEDS would love to arrest ALL Trump supporters!! Don’t give them another J6 to lie about!!!! This is a trap to catch as many Trumpers as possible!!! Protest on social media!!! Flood your pages with support for President Trump!” said another.

Even if his protesters don’t show up in large numbers, Trump’s choice of his first rally after a possible impeachment is worrying for some.

The former president is set to host a rally in Waco, Texas next week. Waco is a rallying cry for the far right who believe the FBI and ATF mass murdered the Branch Davidians cult 30 years ago when 76 people were killed.

The government crackdown spurred violent anti-government extremism and is believed to have inspired the Oklahoma City bombing that blew up a federal office and killed 168 people.

We crawl the web so you don’t have to.

Sign up for the Daily Dot newsletter to get the best and worst of the web delivered to your inbox every day.