Bill Maher says charging Trump over Stormy Daniels hush money will be 'rocket ... trends now 'It's rocket fuel for 2024': Bill Maher warns charging Trump over Stormy Daniels hush money would be 'colossal mistake' and will boost ex-president's popularity Bill Maher warned the criminal probe into Donald Trump would guarantee his success in 2024 election Maher said the probe was a 'colossal mistake' after a tense week in which Trump was expected to be arrested It comes as tensions between the former president and Manhattan DA reached boiling point yesterday after Bragg received a death threat By Helena Kelly For Dailymail.Com Published: 13:21 GMT, 25 March 2023 | Updated: 13:26 GMT, 25 March 2023 Viewcomments Bill Maher has slammed the probe into Donald Trump's hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels as he said any arrest would be 'rocket fuel' for the former president's 2024 election campaign. Maher warned the case - being spearheaded by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg - was a 'colossal mistake' as polls show Trump's popularity has only increased as a result. It comes as tensions between Bragg and Trump reached boiling point yesterday after the DA received a death threat and a package of suspicious white powder. 'I really don't want to give Donald Trump the satisfaction of talking about him. I thought when he was gone, he'd be gone a little bit.' Maher said on his Real Time show on Friday night. 'But, you know, there is an ex-president out there now who's going to be arrested — possibly. And he is talking about violence in the streets of his supporters if he does.' He added: 'I just would like to go on record in saying I think this is a colossal mistake if they bring these charges. 'Not just one, you know. I mean, yes, he's done a lot of bad things, and I'm sure he did this — everything they accused him of [doing], he did. 'But first of all, it's not going to work. It's going to be rocket fuel for his 2024 campaign. 'And it's just going to look to MAGA nation like, 'Oh, you know, you tried with Mueller, you tried with Ukraine, you tried with January 6. Now we go to the porn star? Really? You're down to that?!"' His guests agreed with journalist Annie Lowrey pointing out the probe had caused Trump's popularity to skyrocket. A poll by Monmouth University shows Trump is 14 percentage points ahead of his likely leadership contender Ron DeSantis. Another poll showed that 75 percent of Republican voters 'know' the allegations against Trump are bad but they also don't think it matters. The probe centers around a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels by his then-lawyer Michael Cohen Trump shared an article Thursday about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg that was illustrated with a picture of the ex-president holding up a baseball bat, positioned next to one of the Democratic DA looking frightened Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is pictured Thursday arriving at his office 'I think that we've seen in, you know, the past however many years at this point that the more attention is on heavy regardless of what that attention is about, the more the circus has him in the center of its rings, the better he tends to do,' Lowrey said. Last Saturday Trump sensationally announced he was going to be arrested the following Tuesday in a probe cooked up by Bragg. The allegations center around a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels by his then-lawyer Michael Cohen. The payment was intended to keep Daniels quiet over their alleged affair. Trump has always denied the affair. However the arrest on Tuesday did not go ahead. On Friday Trump posted a disturbing shot of himself with a baseball bat promising 'death and destruction' if he is criminally charged. A member of the NYPD departs the district attorney's office at 80 Centre Street with evidence bags, following reports that an envelope containing white powder was delivered in New York City 'They are human scum,' he raged in one post asking why Bragg 'refuses to do the right thing and call it a day.' Yesterday emergency teams were forced to respond to reports of a package containing a suspicious powder which was mailed to Bragg's office. Sources said it contained a note saying ''ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!' The package was sent around midday Friday. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility