Former President Donald Trump is set to make his first public appearance since his federal indictment, speaking to Republican-friendly audiences in Georgia and North Carolina as he tries to rally supporters to his protection.
Trump, who remains the front-runner for the Republican Party nomination in 2024 despite his legal problems, was expected to use speeches at two state party conventions on Saturday to deny the charges.
The unsealed indictment Friday charged him with 37 felony counts in connection with the collection of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Trump is accused of defying Justice Department requests to return classified documents, hiring aides in his efforts to hide the records, and even telling his lawyers that he wanted to go against a subpoena for the items stored at his residence. The indictment includes allegations that he stored documents in a ballroom and bathroom at his resort, among other places.
The most serious charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years, but first-time offenders rarely get anywhere near the maximum sentence and the decision would ultimately be up to the judge .
Trump has already responded to the allegation with a series of posts on his Truth Social platform and a video statement, framing the allegation as election interference orchestrated by President Joe Biden. and his campaign.
“They’re coming after me because now we’re leading the polls heavily against Biden,” he said.
Trump can expect a hero’s welcome as he rallies his party’s strongest and aims to cement his status as his party’s front-runner for president.
He arrived in Georgia on Saturday to sing “Four more years! Four more years!” from supporters waving signs saying, “Witch Hunt”. About 100 eager supporters turned up at the Columbus airport.
Michael Sellers, a 67-year-old Trump supporter who arrived at the airport, said he had read the indictment and was aware of the allegations.
“It’s criminal what they’re doing to him,” said the seller. Asked if he thinks Trump will win another term in 2024, Sellers said, “He won last time. He wins again.”
Trump ‘challenging’
Among the various investigations Trump has faced, the dossier issue has long been considered the most dangerous and ripe for prosecution.
The federal charging document alleges that Trump not only knowingly possessed classified documents but also openly showed them to visitors and aides. The indictment is based on Trump’s own words and actions as reported to prosecutors by lawyers, close aides and other witnesses, including saying he respects and knows him procedures relating to the handling of classified information.
A Trump campaign official described the former president’s mood as “challenging” ahead of the state visit. But supporters were more conservative after the lawsuit was unsealed as they calculated the seriousness of the legal costs and the threat they pose to Trump beyond the possible short-term political gain.
‘dark day’
The conviction comes at a time when Trump continues to dominate the primary race. Other candidates have largely attacked the Justice Department — rather than Trump — for the investigation. But the scope and scope of the charges could make it more difficult for Republicans to oppose those charges compared to an earlier New York criminal case that many legal analysts derided as weak. .
Trump is expected to make his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday in Miami. He was charged along with Walt Nauta, a personal assistant who prosecutors say moved boxes from a storage room to Trump’s residence for review and later lied to investigators about the move. A photo included in the indictment shows several dozen file boxes stacked in a storage area.
The case has contributed to deepening legal risk for Trump. In March, he was indicted in New York in a hush-money scheme stemming from payments made to a porn star in his 2016 campaign, and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta which could lead to criminal charges.
So far, the response of many Republicans – including some of Trump’s party nomination rivals – has been rallying behind the former president and increasing his sense of anger.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, who has a roller-coaster relationship with Trump, said the conviction marked a “dark day” for the United States.
“I, and all Americans who believe in the rule of law, stand with President Trump,” said McCarthy.
And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen as Trump’s most viable challenger for the Republican ticket, echoed the Justice Department’s “armed” claims.
