Trump says his arrest is imminent. Only one other president has been arrested — in 1872

Former President Donald Trump has said that his arrest is imminent. If that happens, it would not be completely without precedent.

Writing on his social media site, Truth Social, on March 18, he stated, “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”

His declaration comes as prosecutors in New York are deciding whether to charge him in connection to hush money payments allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the run-up to the 2016 election, according to the Associated Press.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the investigation as a witch hunt, saying on March 20, “There was no crime, period.”

The grand jury in the case is scheduled to convene in Manhattan on March 22, according to ABC7. Barricades have been erected outside the downtown courthouse where they will meet, as protesters and supporters alike have gathered outside and several “unfounded” bomb threats have been made.

If Trump is arrested and charged, it would be only the second time a sitting or former U.S. president has been arrested, according to a presidential historian. The first incident — which took place 151 years ago — involved a horse-drawn buggy and much less fanfare.

The Speeding President

In 1872, before the advent of automobiles, President Ulysses Grant was busted for speeding in his horse-drawn carriage less than a mile from the White House.

“Since he was a young boy, Grant had a special affinity for horses and enjoyed riding fast apparently with little regard for the speed limit,” Louis Picone, a presidential historian, told McClatchy News.

The policeman who stopped Grant — the erstwhile Civil War general — was William West, who was a former slave and Union veteran, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

At the time, speeding in carriages was considered a serious offense, but West let the president off with a warning after he was assured “it would not occur again,” Picone said.

However, the president, apparently something of a speed demon, was unable to keep his promise.

The next day, the very same incident happened again, according to Picone, who is the author of “Grant’s Tomb: The Epic Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an American Pantheon.”

After pulling the president’s coach over, West reportedly said, “I am very sorry, Mr. President, to have to do it, for you are the chief of the nation and I am nothing but a policeman, but duty is duty, sir, and I will have to place you under arrest,” according to Picone.

At the time, there was some hesitation among police officers as to whether they had the authority to charge the president, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier told WTOP in 2012, adding that the man who led the Union to victory was caught “racing his buggy on M street.”

“Incredibly, the president of the United States was brought into the police station, arrested, and released on $20 bail,” Picone said.

A trial was held the next day, but the president, perhaps busy attending to matters of state, did not appear and his case was dropped, Picone said.

“What I find most fascinating about this incident, is instead of being a scandalous embarrassment, Grant’s arrest is an example of his inherent decency,” Picone said.

“Later, when Grant heard a rumor that Officer West’s temerity had placed his job at risk, the president warned the chief of police against retaliation and insisted West should instead be commended for doing his duty.”

This story was originally published March 21, 2023 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Trump says his arrest is imminent. Only one other president has been arrested — in 1872."