EXCLUSIVE: Joe “Unique” Maldonado, who launched a 2024 presidential marketing campaign from jail, needs former President Trump would have “his arraignment in an orange jumpsuit and shackles” after his indictment Thursday.

“Former President Donald Trump now that you’ve been indicted, welcome to the get together,” Maldonado wrote on his Instagram. “Trump ought to must go to arraignment in an orange jumpsuit and shackles and be humiliated identical to the remaining (of) us have been, harmless or not.”

Maldonado, who’s operating as a member of the Libertarian Get together, was locked up in 2018 after being discovered responsible of murder-for-hire expenses and is preventing to show his innocence whereas operating within the 2024 presidential race. 

In a press release to Fox Information Digital, the star of Netflix’s “Tiger King” stated although he respects the previous president, Trump “spent 4 years doing nothing to scrub up the Justice System, The Jail System or the FBI. So welcome to the get together pal…”

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Trump was indicted Thursday by a New York grand jury after years-long investigations into his alleged position in hush cash funds to grownup movie star Stormy Daniels and mannequin Karen McDougal throughout his presidential marketing campaign.

“I want he must get his arraignment in an orange jumpsuit and shackles identical to everybody else that’s made to look responsible proper off the bat,” Maldonado advised Fox Digital in a press release.

Insisting he’s harmless after being convicted of attempting to rent hitmen to kill an animal rights advocate, Maldonado stated he’s dedicated to exonerating himself and plans to assist “others caught on this gradual system and need to unite this nation as a substitute of tearing it aside.”

Contemplating Trump and President Biden are beneath investigation for improperly storing categorized paperwork, “what the hell’s unsuitable with a man operating from jail?” Maldonado advised Fox Information Digital in an unique interview earlier this week. 

The “Tiger King” star took goal at Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who trails Trump in early 2024 polls however has not but introduced a presidential run.

Former President Trump was indicted Thursday. (Scott Olson)

“Ron DeSantis is harmful for this nation. He is prudent with Disney, he is proved it with the opposite lawsuits he launched in Florida. Should you don’t love his manner, he will make a regulation and make it unlawful for you. Very harmful man.”

Unique additionally stated that in the case of Trump, “he is workable if typically he would simply preserve his mouth shut as a result of he blows a lot smoke. I do not imagine that the election was stolen, in any respect. I believe folks misplaced it. And if he would have handed the torch and went away a grown man as a substitute of throwing a match, he most likely can be re-elected once more.

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“President Biden, he wants to only get up, him and Vice President Harris, how they need to do justice and jail reform on this nation, and he is executed nothing. … We have now President Putin who is needed. President Trump is about to be indicted. Hunter Biden and President Biden are beneath investigation. What the hell is unsuitable with a man operating from jail?”

The U.S. Structure solely states three necessities for operating for president, none of which particularly stop a candidate from operating for the workplace whereas in jail.

Joe Unique launched his 2024 presidential marketing campaign in February. (Netflix US/AFP)

In 2020, Maldonado was sentenced to 22 years in jail for 17 counts of animal abuse and two counts associated to expenses that he employed somebody to kill activist Carole Baskin. Regardless of his conviction, the Tiger lover has maintained his innocence.

“I’ve by no means abused an animal in my life. I am not in right here for animal abuse. I am in right here for taking an endangered species and not using a allow,” he stated.

Maldonado stated his conviction is an instance of why the nation is “so corrupt.”

“I ran for workplace in 2016 and 2018. So this is not only a publicity stunt. Any individual has to provide working-class folks on this nation a voice. And now that I see it from the within of how corrupt this technique is, I will be that voice,” the fact star stated.

Maldonado stated if he wins, he’ll pardon himself and each different inmate convicted on comparable expenses as a result of he “actually imagine there’s most likely near 30,000 folks which can be nonviolent offenders that must go residence and return to their households.”

Joseph Maldonado-Passage is serving a jail sentence after being discovered responsible of collaborating in a murder-for-hire plot in opposition to Carole Baskin. The U.S. Structure doesn’t particularly stop somebody from operating whereas incarcerated. (Santa Rosa County Jail)

Unique additionally responded to Angela McArdle, head of the Libertarian Get together, after she advised TMZ his presidential bid was “simply tigers and glitter.”

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“I’ve a ton of Libertarian supporters who agree with me. … We’re by no means going to get all people to conform to something as a result of you may’t be a Republican, you may’t be a Democrat, you may’t be a libertarian and run a rustic with 330 million completely different varieties of individuals. We will have to face within the center, and we will must say, ‘You are able to do this, and you are able to do this, however let’s simply not damage no person.”

“The Tiger King” stated voters ought to take into account him for president “should you agree that we want a change.”

“And should you do not, then preserve voting for the opposite folks,” he stated. “They preserve this nation in turmoil.”

Carole Baskin’s late husband’s whereabouts brought on a social media concern. (Arya Doheny)

When requested what qualities he believes make him stand out among the many different candidates, Maldonado stated he’s “not ashamed of who I’m, and I am not ashamed of something that I’ve executed in my previous. And I am not ashamed of any errors I’ll make sooner or later. And I’ll inform you like it’s whether or not you need to hear the reality or not. I am not going to sugarcoat something, and I’ll stick up for everybody.

“It is time that the folks on this nation get up. , we won’t shove our spiritual beliefs that I’ve down 300 million folks’s throats. We have now folks from everywhere in the world dwell right here, and all of us must get alongside.”

Legislation enforcement officers have labored out the small print of how former President Trump might be escorted to his alleged hush cash scandal-related arraignment on Tuesday.

A supply informed Fox Information that Trump is predicted to reach on the 100 Centre Avenue courthouse in New York Metropolis at round 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning. 

The arraignment – which is predicted to final 15 to half-hour – is scheduled for two:15 p.m. earlier than Choose Juan Merchan. The safety element might be intensive, with officers anticipating to magnetically search everybody within the courthouse twice.

No different enterprise might be carried out on the courthouse till the arraignment concludes. Your entire constructing might be cleared and inspected to make sure security.

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For safety causes, there may be not anticipated to be a “perp stroll” or public arrival by the previous president. Trump will even seemingly not be arrested in handcuffs, as his authorized staff made an association with the DA’s workplace.

Choose Juan Merchan, who beforehand oversaw the case and trial of the Trump Group and its former CFO Allen Weisselberg, is predicted to learn Trump’s prices and ask him to enter his plea. Trump might be escorted out after.

The small print of the indictment haven’t been launched, as they sometimes stay below seal earlier than the arraignment takes place. The fees are anticipated to narrate to Trump’s 2016 alleged hush cash scandal, which the DA’s workplace has been investigating for 5 years.

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Former President Donald Trump speaks in the course of the American Freedom Tour on the Austin Conference Heart on Could 14, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Photos)

If the costs relate to the hush cash scandal, prosecutors are anticipated to argue that the $130,000 sum given to Stormy Daniels and the $150,000 given to former Playboy mannequin Karen McDougal have been improper donations to the Trump marketing campaign, which helped his candidacy in the course of the 2016 election.

The previous president has expressed his disapproval of the indictment by DA Alvin Bragg, saying it’s politically motivated.

District Lawyer Alvin Bragg speaks at a press convention to debate the costs in opposition to Steve Bannon in New York on September 8, 2022.  (Alex Kent/AFP through Getty Photos))

“That is Political Persecution and Election Interference on the highest degree in historical past,” Trump mentioned in a press release. “From the time I got here down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even earlier than I used to be sworn in as your President of america, the Radical Left Democrats- the enemy of the hard-working women and men of this Nation- have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Nice Once more motion.”

On Saturday — two days after a grand jury indicted former President Trump, securing his place in historical past as the primary former U.S. president to face felony fees — a small group of supporters gathered in Orange County to protest the indictment.

Throughout the gathering close to the Huntington Seashore Pier on Saturday afternoon, the group of roughly 40 folks flew “Make America Nice Once more” flags and chanted “God bless Trump!” At one level, two demonstrators have been hit on their heads with skateboards throughout a conflict.

As a result of the indictment stays sealed, the exact felony fees aren’t but clear, however the investigation introduced to the grand jury in New York targeted on Trump’s alleged function in a scheme to pay hush cash to grownup movie star Stormy Daniels through the closing push of his 2016 marketing campaign.

The indictment marks solely one of many potential authorized issues for Trump, who has declared that he’ll search the presidency once more in 2024. He additionally faces investigations into his alleged involvement in 2020 election interference by his supporters and the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, in addition to his dealing with of categorized paperwork after leaving workplace.

Attorneys for the previous president mentioned in a press release that their consumer didn’t commit any crimes and Republican allies have portrayed Manhattan Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg, whose workplace introduced the case to the grand jurors, as a far-left prosecutor working to make sure that Trump gained’t get elected in 2024.

Professional-Trump demonstrators rally in Huntington Seashore.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Occasions)

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After he was indicted, Trump — who is predicted to be arraigned on Tuesday — put out a press release characterizing the indictment as “Political Persecution” and a “Witch-Hunt” fueled by “Radical Left Democrats.”

A number of the demonstrators on Saturday echoed such language, referring to what they known as a “pretend indictment” and “only a sham.”

A couple of minutes after midday, two demonstrators have been hit with skateboards. One of many victims — a person who had been main the chants — was bleeding from the top however ambulatory. The opposite refused to present his identify to a Occasions reporter.

Huntington Seashore police initially detained two males on the scene. Huntington Seashore Police Division spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla mentioned one particular person was taken into custody.

She mentioned one of many victims was taken to the hospital with minor accidents and that the incident was beneath investigation.

Demonstrators on the pro-Trump rally.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Occasions )

One of many demonstrators, who recognized himself as 18-year-old Joseph Edward of Redlands, mentioned he witnessed the assault towards his fellow demonstrators and mentioned it was unprovoked.

“It was meant to be peaceable,” Edward mentioned. “We don’t need this. We don’t need it to occur once more.”

Occasions employees writers Sarah D. Wire and Arit John contributed to this report.