Authorities in key US cities are bracing for disruption if former President Donald Trump is detained this week as part of an investigation into hush money.
Police in New York, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles have increased their presence in response to allegations that a Manhattan prosecutor may prosecute Trump with paying a porn star to keep quiet about an alleged affair.
It would be the first criminal case in the history of the United States of America against a former president.
Steel barricades were built on Monday outside Manhattan Criminal Court, where Trump may be charged, fingerprinted, and photographed if charges are filed this week, as US media outlets have been reporting.
Also there has also been an increased police presence outside Trump Tower in the city.
A police source told CBS News that every member of the New York Police Department (NYPD), including plainclothes detectives, has been ordered to wear their full uniform on Tuesday and is on ready to mobilize.
According to sources, the NYPD and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force have spoken with the US Secret Service, which is in charge of protecting presidents and previous presidents, about a possible arrest.
The Stormy Daniels case centres on how Trump reimbursed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, after he paid Ms Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election about an alleged affair years earlier with Trump. The former president has denied any such relationship with Ms Daniels.
The record for the payment reimbursing Mr Cohen says it was for “legal fees”.
US intelligence officials have detected an increase in online threats against legal and government officials since Trump wrote online on Saturday that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday, according to CBS.
Most of the threats were against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the man widely expected to file charges against Trump.
On Saturday, the same day Trump posted that his supporters should protest, Mr Bragg sent an email to staff.
“We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York,” the prosecutor wrote.
The Stormy Daniels case centres on how Trump reimbursed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, after he paid Ms Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election about an alleged affair years earlier with Trump. The former president has denied any such relationship with Ms Daniels.
The FBI said the record for the payment reimbursing Mr Cohen says it was for “legal fees”.