- Former President Donald Trump appeared in a Miami courthouse to face criminal charges of retaining national security documents unlawfully.
- Trump and former aide Walt Nauta were booked for arraignment, with the hearing closed to live broadcasts and cameras.
- The indictment accuses Trump of endangering national secrets and lying to officials who sought to recover the documents.
On Tuesday, former US president Donald Trump was in detention at a Miami courthouse to face criminal charges that he unlawfully retained national security documents after leaving office and lied to officials who sought to recover them.
A court official stated that Trump and former aide Walt Nauta were booked before their arraignment at 3 p.m., at which time they were scheduled to enter a plea.
The hearing was to be closed to live broadcasts and cameras.
It will be Trump’s second court appearance in recent months. In April, he pled not guilty in New York to state charges arising from a hush-money payment to a pornstar. Federal allegations prompted Tuesday’s appearance in Miami.
As the motorcade stopped in front of the courthouse, supporters donning Make America Great Again hats and carrying American flags chanted “Miami for Trump” and “Latinos for Trump.” A male was audibly chanting “USA! USA!”
Outside the courthouse, Mayor of Miami Francis Suarez told reporters that there had been no security issues.
In remembrance of the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, authorities had prepared for crowds of up to 50,000 people and potential violence.
Trump has repeatedly asserted his innocence and accused the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden of targeting him. Tuesday, he referred to Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the prosecution, as a “Trump hater” on social media.
According to a grand jury indictment published last week, Smith accuses Trump of endangering national secrets by taking thousands of sensitive documents with him when he left the White House in January 2021 and storing them haphazardly at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and his New Jersey golf club.
Photos in the indictment depict crates of documents stacked on a ballroom stage, in a bathroom, and on the floor of a storage room.
The indictment alleges that Trump lied to officials who attempted to retrieve them. In American history, a former president has never been indicted on federal charges.
The indictment also alleges that Trump and Nauta conspired to conceal classified documents from a federal grand jury. Trump was scheduled to appear alongside Nauta, who worked for him at the White House and Mar-a-Lago.
Republican voters and opponents align behind Trump.
Trump’s desire to return to the White House is unaffected by recent events. Trump was slated to fly from Miami to his New Jersey golf club after his arraignment, where he was scheduled to speak.
Trump’s legal troubles have not affected his popularity among Republican voters.
According to a poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos and released on Monday, Trump still leads rivals for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election by a significant margin, and 81% of Republican voters view the charges as politically motivated.
“I never anticipated that I would experience this. Outside the courthouse, a woman with the first name Esperanza and the sign “I Stand With Trump” exclaimed, “It’s unbelievable.”
The majority of Trump’s Republican rivals for the nomination support him. One of these candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy, told the audience that he would pardon Donald Trump if he were elected.
In a marked departure from the party’s traditional support for law enforcement, other Republican candidates have accused the FBI of political bias and some have called for its dissolution.
Confidential national security information
The 37-count indictment includes violations of the Espionage Act, which criminalizes the unauthorized possession of defense information, and conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.
Smith predicted a “speedy” trial for Trump, 77 on Wednesday.
Trump selected judge Aileen Cannon in 2020, who ruled in his favour during the probe last year. Which was overturned on appeal. As is customary for a federal arraignment, Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman was appointed to preside over Tuesday’s hearing.
Experts expect a trial to take at least a year due to classified material.
Trump’s attorneys could file a deluge of petitions to challenge Smith’s case before it goes to trial, causing additional delays.
In the interim, Trump is free to run for president and could assume office even if he is found culpable.
Trump accuses Joe Biden, president of the Democratic Party, of orchestrating the federal case to undermine his campaign. Biden has maintained his distance and refuses to comment on the case.
