Top Republican Senator Urges Protests Against Donald Trump's Looming Arrest, Warns 'Don't Be A Knucklehead & Riot'

Republican Senator John Kennedy is encouraging supporters of former President Donald Trump to go out and protest his pending arrest — just don’t be a “knucklehead” about it, RadarOnline.com has learned.

The powerful five-term senator from Louisiana urged for peaceful dissent, countering a plea by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who warned Trump supporters to stand down, fearing the large crowd might turn rowdy and harm others.

As RadarOnline.com reported, the ex-president triggered a firestorm when he announced his looming arrest and urged his 9.4 million followers on Truth Social to “protest, protest, protest” and “TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK!”

The 45th commander-in-chief is expected to be indicted for allegedly paying $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to conceal a brief affair just before his successful 2016 election.

Kennedy encouraged Trump’s rally cry, but was quick to tamp down his most ardent supporters may misconstrue the message and storm the Manhattan’s DA’s office or engage in a violent street battle with New York City police officers.

“In America, you are free to protest,” the Louisiana senator said on Fox & Friends. “You aren’t really free if you can’t express yourself.”

“But do it peacefully,” he pleaded. “Don’t be a knucklehead and riot!”

Kennedy, however, stopped short of mentioning the violent January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which was also inspired by Trump’s call for demonstrations to overturn the 2020 election which he lost to President Joe Biden.

McCarthy tried to slam the breaks on Trump’s latest call to demonstrate by saying, “I don’t think people should protest this stuff.”

“(Trump’s) not talking in a harmful way,” the California Republican said. “Nobody should harm one another … And this is why you should really make law equal because if that was the case, nothing would happen.”

“We want calmness out there,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the NYPD, the U.S. Secret Service, the Manhattan DA, and the New York State Court Officers that maintain order in Manhattan Criminal Court are bracing for the worst.

Some security measures included deploying officers inside and outside the courthouse and restricting vehicle access to the area, according to the New York Post.