Jeffries warns Trump's ‘reckless’ rhetoric could trigger violence

Former President Donald Trump stepped up his criticism of the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into a hush money payment made during his 2016 campaign, threatening "possible death and destruction" if he is prosecuted in the case in an overnight post on his Truth Society website.

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Trump called on his supporters to "protest, take our nation back" last weekend after claiming leaks suggested he would be detained in the investigation. Since then, he has used social media to criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, calling for his "removal" from the position and asserting without proof that the investigation is politically motivated.

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But, Trump made his most direct mention of violence to date in an early Friday post on Truth Social, mirroring his more strident statements during the activities leading up to the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, by his supporters.

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"What kind of person can accuse another person of a crime when it is known by all that NO crime has been committed, and also known that potential death and destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country? In this case, a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and who was leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination,” Trump wrote. "Only a degenerate psychopath who truly [sic] hates the USA would do such a thing."

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In the DA's investigation, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen has come forward as a witness against his former employer. Trump has often denied having an affair, but according to Cohen, the former president ordered him to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to purchase her silence. Bragg is looking into whether Trump fabricated financial documents when declaring Cohen's reimbursement of $130,000 as a legal expense.

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Since the former president foresaw his arrest, Republican leaders have banded together and used their power in the House to demand that Bragg speaks before Congress.

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Close Trump ally and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California advised against protests in the event of an indictment. Nobody should hurt one another, McCarthy said to reporters. "We want calm out there."

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In a post on Thursday, Trump disputed advice to maintain cool. He added, "AS THEY TELL US TO BE PEACEFUL, OUR COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED!"

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Few groups have so far shown out to protest the DA's conduct, responding subduedly to Trump's demand for action.

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Trump's actions in relation to the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, by his supporters, are the subject of a separate investigation by the Justice Department's special counsel. Trump had used hyperbole to energize his audience prior to the violence and riots, posting on social media, "Be there, will be wild!"

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Almost 100 police officers were hurt in the incident on January 6 and five people died both during and after it. Democrats have blamed Trump, claiming that he instigated the violence to prevent the declaration of Joe Biden's victory.

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At a news conference on Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, referred to Trump's most recent remarks as "reckless, repugnant, and irresponsible."

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The special counsel for the Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation of Trump's behavior in relation to the attack on the United States on January 6, 2021. Capitol by his partisans. In a social media post that read, "Be there, it will be crazy," Trump used hyperbole to incite his base prior to the violence and riots.

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Almost 100 police officers were hurt, and five people perished during and after the attack on January 6. Democrats blame Trump, saying he incited the disturbance to prevent Joe Biden's triumph as the election winner.

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Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York's House Minority Leader, referred to Trump's most recent remarks as "reckless, repugnant, and irresponsible" at a news conference on Friday.