Donald Trump received a standing ovation as he appeared at an Oklahoma wrestling event amid reports that he will be jailed next week.
The crowd applauded and pumped his fist as the former president made his way to his seat, dressed in his distinctive blue suit and red tie and escorted by his security detail.
Mr. Trump, 76, posed for photos with fans at the event at the BOK Center in Tulsa, seemingly unfazed with his suspected impending arrest in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
According to “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, he will be detained on Tuesday.
Mr Trump made the allegation on his Truth Social platform, but presented no evidence that he had been directly told of an impending arrest and did not explain how he learned of such preparations.
According to NBC News, law enforcement agencies are preparing to indict Mr. Trump as soon as next week.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment on Mr Trump’s claim, and when reached, a spokeswoman for the former president did not react.
According to reports, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is looking into whether payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal in 2016 violated state law.
A grand jury in Manhattan is hearing testimony from witnesses, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who claims he coordinated payments to the women to keep them quiet about sexual encounters they claimed they had with Mr Trump a decade ago.
Mr. Bragg’s office is also rumoured to be looking into how Mr. Trump’s corporation paid Cohen for his work.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after admitting to paying the payments.
He also admitted to tax evasion and lying to Congress about the scope of talks between the Trump Organization and a project to develop a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Cohen claimed Mr Trump authorised him to make the $280,000 (£230,000) payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, which the former president disputes.
