Indicting Donald Trump would be a politically motivated move by his opponents, senior Republican officials say.
On Saturday, the former US president said his arrest could come next week, based on media reports.
But Democrats say no one is above the law and accuse Mr. Trump of recklessly fomenting political division.
The lawsuit focuses on allegations that Trump’s lawyers paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
The 76-year-old has been the subject of several other separate investigations, but he has not yet been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.
Trump has promised to continue his campaign to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, even if he is indicted.
It is not yet known if he will face criminal charges, or what the indictment will contain beyond the most basic details.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Kevin McCarthy, a senior Republican in the U.S. Congress, have voiced their opposition to criminal prosecution.
Pence told the network ABC News that Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was filing a “political indictment” against Trump.
“The idea of prosecuting a former president of the United States at a time when a wave of crime is sweeping through New York City is astounding,” Pence said.
“The fact that Manhattan DA [district attorney] He thinks prosecuting President Trump is his number one priority, and I think he’s just telling us everything there is to know about the radical left in this country,” he told the station. rice field.
In a statement on Saturday, Trump called for mass protests from his supporters, accusing Bragg’s office of making “illegal leaks” to journalists.
Asked about the protest call, Pence said American citizens have a “constitutional right to assemble peacefully,” but any action must be taken “in a peaceful and lawful manner.” Said it wouldn’t.
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the investigation “an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA.”
In a tweet, he also promised to investigate whether federal funds are being used to interfere with the election “in politically motivated prosecutions.”
Democrats accused Trump of causing political division.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren told ABC News that even if he happened to be president, “no one is above the law,” and any investigation “must be allowed to proceed properly.” won’t,” he said.
“There is no reason to dispute this. This is a law that works as it should without fear or favor for anyone,” she said.
McCarthy’s former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, echoed Warren’s sentiments, calling Trump’s remarks “reckless” and “putting himself in the news and creating anxiety among his supporters.” It added that it was intended to “encourage.”
“He cannot hide from breaking the law, disrespecting our elections, and inciting violence. Naturally, our legal system will determine how to hold him accountable,” she said. I wrote to Twitter.
The Stormy Daniels lawsuit focuses on how Trump paid back his attorney Michael Cohen after paying Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 US presidential election.
Records of payments reimbursed to Cohen say it was “legal costs.” Prosecutors can conclude that this was Trump falsifying business records, a misdemeanor in New York.
