COLUMBUS, USA — Former US President Donald Trump criticized the federal indictment against him as “ridiculous and baseless” during his first public appearance since the charges were unveiled.
A 37-count indictment, made public on Friday, June 9, 2023, accuses him of retaining sensitive documents, including classified material concerning US nuclear secrets and military plans, at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
Addressing a Republican Party convention in Columbus, Georgia, on Saturday, June 10, 2023, Trump alleged that the indictment was an act of “election interference” by the “corrupt” FBI and Department of Justice.
He denied all accusations of wrongdoing.
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According to the indictment, Trump mishandled hundreds of classified documents, storing them in various locations within his Mar-a-Lago estate, including a ballroom and a shower.
The indictment further alleges that Trump lied to investigators and attempted to obstruct their investigation into his handling of these documents.
This marks the first time in US history that a former president has faced criminal prosecution.
During his speech, which lasted over an hour, Trump stated, “They’re cheating, they’re crooked, they’re corrupt – these criminals cannot be rewarded, they must be defeated.”
He mockingly commented that every time he flies over a Democratic-controlled state, he receives a subpoena.
Trump, who has announced his intention to run for the presidency again in 2024, labeled the indictment as a “hoax” orchestrated by the “corrupt political establishment,” and went on to describe it as both a “joke” and a “travesty”.
He began his speech by thanking the “record crowd” and “patriots” from Georgia who had supported his presidential campaigns.
Throughout the speech, he criticized what he referred to as the “sinister forces” controlling the country, including Marxists, communists, “environmental extremists,” Republicans in Name Only (RINOs), “open border fanatics,” and “radical left democrats.”
Trump argued that the sensitive documents in question should have been governed by the Presidential Records Act, which mandates that White House records be transferred to the National Archives in a secure manner upon the conclusion of an administration.
He contrasted this with the charges he faces under the Espionage Act. He also claimed that “gun-toting FBI agents” had conducted a raid on Mar-a-Lago.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who led the investigation, refuted the notion that the charges were politically motivated. Smith stated, “We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.”
As the 2024 election begins to take shape, Trump is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.
He spoke at the Republican Party convention in Columbus, Georgia, before heading to another Republican event in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who recently announced his own presidential run and has been openly critical of Trump, spoke earlier at the North Carolina event. However, Trump and Pence are not expected to meet.
Georgia is anticipated to be a critical battleground state in the upcoming election. Trump narrowly lost the state to current President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Additionally, officials in Georgia are investigating whether Trump violated state laws by allegedly requesting that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “find” enough votes to reverse his electoral defeat in the state.
