Global Courant
Former President Donald Trump is about to make his first public appearance since his federal indictment, speaking to a friendly Republican audience in Georgia and North Carolina as he tries to rally supporters for his defense.
Trump, who remains the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican Party nomination despite his mounting legal troubles, was expected to use speeches at two state party conventions on Saturday to protest the allegations.
The indictment, unsealed Friday, charged him with 37 felony charges in connection with hoarding classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate.
Trump has been accused of willfully ignoring Justice Department demands to return classified documents, enlisting aides in his efforts to conceal the documents, and even telling his lawyers that he will have a subpoena for the materials found in his residence. are saved, wanted to defy. The charges include allegations that he stored documents in a ballroom and bathroom at his resort.
The most serious charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years, but first offenders rarely get close to the maximum sentence and the decision is ultimately up to the judge.
Trump has already responded to the charges with a series of posts on his Truth Social platform and a video statement, describing the accuser as election interference orchestrated by President Joe Biden and his campaign.
“They are coming after me because we are now leading again in the polls against Biden,” he said.
Trump can expect a heroic reception as he assembles his fiercest supporters and looks to cement his status as his party’s leading presidential candidate.
He arrived in Georgia on Saturday to sing “Four more years! Four more years!” of supporters waving signs reading “Witch Hunt.” About 100 enthusiastic supporters turned up at the Columbus airport.
Michael Sellers, a 67-year-old Trump backer who came to the airport, said he had read the indictment and was aware of the allegations.
“It’s criminal what they’re doing to him,” Sellers said. Asked if he believes Trump will win another term in 2024, Sellers said, “He won last time. He will win again.”
‘Insurgent’ Trump
Of the various investigations Trump has faced, the documents case has long been considered the most dangerous threat and the most ripe for prosecution.
The federal indictment document alleges that Trump not only intentionally possessed classified documents, but also boastfully displayed them to visitors and aides. The indictment is based on Trump’s own words and actions, as told to prosecutors by attorneys, close aides and other witnesses, including his claim to respect and know procedures regarding the handling of classified information.
A Trump campaign official described the former president’s mood ahead of the state visits as “rebellious”. But aides were notably more reserved after the indictment’s unsealing, considering the seriousness of the legal charges and the threat they pose to Trump beyond potential short-term political gains.
This image, included in the indictment of former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of files stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida (Justice Department via AP)
A ‘dark day’
The indictment comes as Trump continues to dominate the primary race. Other candidates have largely attacked the Justice Department — rather than Trump — for the investigation. But the scale of the allegations and the scope of the charges could make it more difficult for Republicans to challenge these allegations compared to a previous New York criminal case that many legal analysts derided as weak.
Trump will appear in federal court for the first time in Miami on Tuesday. He was charged along with Walt Nauta, a personal assistant who prosecutors say moved boxes from a storage unit to Trump’s residence for him to be assessed and later lied to investigators about the move. A photo attached to the indictment shows several dozen archive boxes stacked in a storage room.
The case has contributed to greater legal danger for Trump. In March, he was charged in New York over a hush money scheme stemming from payouts to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign, and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that could also lead to criminal charges.
So far, the response from many Republicans — including some of Trump’s party nomination rivals — has been to rally behind the former president and amplify his sense of outrage.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has had a roller coaster relationship with Trump, said the indictment marked a “dark day” for the United States.
“I, and every American who believes in the rule of law, stand with President Trump,” McCarthy said.
And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen as Trump’s most viable challenger for the Republican ticket, echoed claims of a “armed” Justice Department.
