Donald Trump’s claim of an imminent arrest jolted the 2024 Republican primary field, with party leaders rallying to his side while forcing his potential challengers to choose between publicly supporting the former president or backing the moves of a Democratic prosecutor.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans quickly coalesced around Trump, suggesting that his arrest would be overreach and politically motivated. Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and Twitter Inc., and off-hours US political prognosticator, mused on his social media platform that if Trump is arrested and placed in handcuffs he “will be reelected in a landslide victory.”
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. In a post on his Truth Social media platform early Saturday morning, Trump said he expects to be arrested Tuesday as part of the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into hush-money payments to an adult film star. He urged his supporters to protest in echoes of his public statements ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol to overturn his electoral loss to President Joe Biden.
Polls show Trump as the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination, likely in a rematch with Biden in less than 20 months.
His potential arrest injects a note of chaos early in the presidential primary cycle against the particularly tumultuous backdrop of three regional US bank failings as the country continues to find its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigations gaining steam coincided with Trump’s intensifying efforts to retake the White House. Last week, he campaigned in Iowa, an early Republican voting state.
In a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday, Trump widened his lead in the 2024 GOP primary race among 15 Republicans who have declared they are running or are considered potential candidates. Trump led Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 46 percent to 32 percent, up from 42 percent -36 percent in February.
His grip over the GOP was on display Saturday as his allies like McCarthy piped up, while potential rivals, like his former vice president Mike Pence issued support and others, like DeSantis, were silent.
In an interview airing Sunday on ABC’s ‘This Week,” Pence said he’s “taken aback at the idea of indicting a former president of the United States” and that it would be “a politically charged prosecution.” He also declined to disavow Trump’s call for protests, saying they should be peaceful but that Americans have a constitutional right to assemble.
Just a week ago, Pence called Trump’s language during the January 6 insurrection “reckless and predicted that history would hold him accountable.”
Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, one of the first three candidates to formally challenge Trump, also criticized the investigation.
A Trump-aligned super-PAC issued a statement listing the potential GOP presidential aspirants who came out in support of the former president. That included the lack of response from DeSantis, who Trump has called his strongest potential challenger.
There were calls on Saturday by conservatives on social media for DeSantis to step in and prevent an arrest in Florida, where Trump lives.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been conducting a probe into a hush-money payment Trump allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public before the 2016 election about an alleged decade-old sexual encounter.
Charges in the case are widely expected, but no indictment has been announced.
Despite Trump saying he will be arrested on Tuesday, he has not received any official notification of charges or arrest plans by Bragg’s office and will be campaigning in Texas next weekend, a spokesman for the former president said in a statement issued later on Saturday. A spokeswoman for the district attorney declined to comment.
Trump chose Texas as a show of force because of the warm spring weather, its dense population and enthusiastic Republican base that could serve as a powerful political backdrop.
The former president announced his third White House bid last November 15, despite facing multiple investigations including the Manhattan case as well as probes into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.
Asked whether he’d stay in the race if indicted, Trump told reporters before a March 4 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, “Absolutely. I wouldn’t even think about leaving.”
Republican analysts said an indictment could bolster support among Trump’s hard-core backers. Trump supporters point to some polls that showed the former president’s support among Republicans increased after the Justice Department executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago resort last August in an investigation of his handling of classified documents.
“The prosecutor in New York has done more to help Donald Trump get elected,” Trump ally and South Carolina US Senator Lindsey Graham said at a conservative forum in North Charleston on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. “They’re doing this because they’re afraid of Donald Trump.”
But analysts said it’ll also add to Republicans’ sense that it’s time to move on from Trump because he has too much political baggage and can’t win in 2024.
This is uncharted territory for the US political system. Not since Bill Clinton or Richard Nixon has a president faced such a flurry of investigations, and neither of them were charged with a crime by a local prosecutor.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.
During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.
He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.
The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.
At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books
As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”
Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.
Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.
Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.
Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.
Automation
The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.
Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.
US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79
US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.
In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.
He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.
President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.