Barricades have been constructed outside a New York court as the city braces itself for the potential that Donald Trump may be detained and charged in connection with alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
It would be the first criminal prosecution of a former American president.
Crowds have already begun to gather outside Trump Tower, Manhattan Criminal Court, and Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
On Saturday, Mr Trump urged his social media followers to protest his alleged impending arrest.
That has fueled fears of a repetition of the ugly events saw on Capitol Hill following his presidential defeat in 2020.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that police were monitoring social media and looking for “inappropriate behaviour” in the city.
According to the New York Police Department, there are no known credible threats.
Nonetheless, barricades have been built outside Trump Tower and Manhattan Criminal Court in preparation for crowds and any unrest that may arise as a result of the former president’s allegation that his arrest is imminent.
If Mr. Trump is accused, he will almost certainly have to fly from his Florida home for fingerprinting and other processing.
Several media sites claimed that law enforcement authorities gathered on Monday to discuss logistics.
Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told the Associated Press that if he is indicted, “we would follow the proper procedures.”
A grand jury that heard additional testimony on Monday may file charges as soon as this week.
Mr Trump, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination again in 2024, predicted he would be jailed on Tuesday.
On Monday, the grand jury heard testimony from lawyer Robert Costello. He claimed that Mr. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, handled the hush money payments without Mr. Trump’s knowledge.
“Michael Cohen chose on his own – that’s what he told us – on his own, to see whether he could handle this,” Mr Costello told reporters after his appearance, at the request of Mr Trump’s legal team.
Mr Cohen, who testified before the grand jury twice, has publicly stated that Mr Trump directed him to make the payments on his behalf.
The probe by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is one of numerous legal problems Mr Trump faces, including a lawsuit over the Capitol disturbances on January 6, 2021.
Mr Bragg’s office appears to be investigating whether any state laws were violated in connection with the payments or the manner in which Mr Trump’s company compensated Mr Cohen for his work to keep the women’s allegations secret.
Mr Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal campaign finance violations related to his arranging payments to Ms Daniels and another woman in exchange for their silence about alleged romances with Mr Trump.
Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing or the existence of such affairs.
According to a seven-day Reuters/Ipsos poll that ended on Monday, approximately 44% of Republicans believe Mr. Trump should withdraw from the presidential race if he is indicted.