Fact Check

No, Trump Did Not Vow To Take 'Last Stand' at Trump Tower Applebee's

And there will be no “kill or be killed” showdown with law enforcement.

Published March 31, 2023

 (Screenshot MNateShyamalan/Twitter)
Image Via Screenshot MNateShyamalan/Twitter
Claim:
After former U.S. President Trump was indicted on hush-money charges on March 30, 2023, he vowed to take a last stand against law enforcement from the Trump Tower Applebee’s.

On March 30, 2023, a Twitter and Reddit post claimed that former U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to take a "last stand" from the Applebee's in Trump Tower against law enforcement that was attempting to arrest him. This allegedly occurred after Trump was indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, with charges centered around his role in covering up hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

According to the posts, Trump said, "I will not go quietly," and law enforcement were concerned that due to his familiarity with the "terrain of the fast casual dining establishment" he would have a "strategic advantage" that would make extracting him a "kill or be killed" scenario. 

The posts are clearly satirical in nature as the one on Reddit has been labeled "It's satire," and the @MNateShyamalan Twitter account is well known for posting satirical tweets. There is also no Applebee's in Trump Tower in Manhattan. 

As of this writing, Trump is presently at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida where he recently had a public dinner. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the indictment "Un-American" and said, "Florida will not assist in an extradition request." 

Thus, there is no evidence that Trump will go to Manhattan to make a "last stand" and that it will occur at an Applebee's. The sources of this claim are labeled satire. 

Sources

Haberman, Maggie. "At Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Camp Is Caught Off Guard." The New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/30/nyregion/trump-mar-a-lago.html. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Ibrahim, Nur. "DeSantis Deepfake Imagines a 2024 Presidential Campaign Amid Trump Indictment." Snopes, 31 Mar. 2023, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ron-desantis-trump-gop-candidate/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Kasprak, Alex. "Yes, Trump Was Just Indicted." Snopes, 30 Mar. 2023, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-indicted/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Trump Sweets | Midtown Restaurants, Bars & Shopping | Trump Tower NYC. https://www.trumptowerny.com/midtown-cafe. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
 

Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing.