The Secret Service will decide whether to HANDCUFF Trump if he is arrested

Officials could handcuff Donald Trump when they arrest him next week over claims he paid porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their alleged affair.

Secret Service agents are said to be locked in thorny negotiations with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office over how to handle the unprecedented arrest of a former president.

Sources say Trump – who is legally protected by the Secret Service – will have to be fingerprinted and processed like any other defendant, although officials are still deliberating on handcuffing him.

On Saturday, Trump posted a message on social media claiming he would be arrested next Tuesday as part of what he described as a “corrupt and highly political” probe.

The case revolves around around $130,000 in payments made by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, to former porn actress Stormy Daniels towards the end of his 2016 campaign.

Former President Donald Trump could be handcuffed if arrested next week over claims he paid porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their alleged affair. They are pictured together in 2006

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is negotiating with the Secret Service over how to handle the unprecedented arrest

The payment was listed as “legal fees,” which Bragg’s office said violates New York City statutes that prohibit the forgery of business records. Trump denies the affair and knowledge of the payments.

Sources told Fox News that as part of the arrest, the Secret Service will “take the lead” on what they will and won’t allow.

“Some sources familiar with the planning said they will be going through security preparations in and around the lower Manhattan courthouse,” Fox Corp. host John Roberts told viewers.

“The Secret Service will take the lead, which they will or will not allow,” the source warned, mentioning, for example, that the decision to handcuff the president, the former president, or not, they will call the shots and escort him into the courtroom.’

Under normal protocol, a defendant would be taken to a New York City courthouse and placed in a processing room.

They would then be briefly placed in a jail cell, booked, fingerprinted, photographed for a mugshot, and handcuffed.

From there, still handcuffed, they were escorted into a courtroom in full view of the media.

In exclusive images from DailyMail.com, Trump was seen boarding his Trump-branded Boeing 757 hours after he ranted online against New York prosecutors who are expected to soon indict him for hush-hush money to Stormy Daniels to keep their alleged affair secret to keep

Trump had a large team of security guards and porters with him when he boarded his plane

Trump boarded the flight hours after an all-capitalized post urged his supporters to protest for him

However, Trump is in a unique position as a former US President, which means he is protected by intelligence at all times.

It is still unclear whether he will be escorted into the courtroom by the court’s security staff or his secret service agents.

The revelation comes as Trump broke cover to board his private jet on Saturday afternoon.

Exclusive photos from dailymail.com showed him boarding his personally branded Boeing 757 from Florida to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete in the NCAA wrestling tournament at the BOK Center.

Dressed in a suit and tie, he boarded a plane to watch a match of the country’s top collegiate wrestlers.

Trump had earlier urged his supporters to “protest, protest, protest” against the impending indictments in a inflammatory post on his platform TruthSocial.

Meanwhile, other high-profile figures came out to attack the planned arrest.

Billionaire Elon Musk said of the possible criminal charges: “If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory.”

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House, said: “Here we go again – an outrageous abuse of power by a radical prosecutor who is letting violent criminals free while pursuing political revenge on President Trump.

The case revolves around around $130,000 in payments made by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, to former porn actress Stormy Daniels towards the end of his 2016 campaign

“I direct the relevant committees to immediately investigate whether federal funds are being used to undermine our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated law enforcement.”

This morning, a Trump spokesman said: “President Trump rightly emphasizes his innocence and the arming of our injustice system. He’ll be in Texas for a huge rally next weekend. Make America Great Again!’ – Trump spokesman.’

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk