No former US president has ever been indicted with federal criminal charges until now. According to a former lawyer of, ex-president, Donald Trump is facing seven charges after the vote of a federal grand jury.
Trump has already been indicted – formally accused of committing a crime – on more than 30 counts of state charges, all related to alleged business fraud and hush money. The New York case is set to be heard on March 25, 2024.
He also has been found liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll, American journalist and author, in a civil trial this May.
The Classified Document Inquiry Against Trump Leads to Indictment
After the search of Trump’s Miami home, Mar-a-Lago, in August, by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Department of Justice (DOJ) claimed that more than 100 classified documents were found at Trump’s residence.
Now the former president is formally accused of unlawful retention of national defence information by a grand jury.
The DOJ has not commented on the indictment, and the precise charges have not been made public. However, Jim Trusty, Trump’s lawyer, has stated on CNN that there are allegations against Trump for violating multiple statutes, including the Espionage Act, which forbids the retention of classified materials.
Furthermore, he is also allegedly accused of obstructing an official proceeding, falsifying or destroying records relevant to a federal investigation, and making false statements or conspiring.
The charges could ultimately lead to prison sentences of over 100 years. However, it is important to remember that Trump has not been on trial yet, and will remain innocent until proven guilty.
According to his lawyer, he is set to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday, June 13.
The Reactions to Trump’s Second Indictment
Democrat and Representative Adam Schiff called the indictment an “affirmation of the rule of law.” Further, across social media, Democrats have voiced their support for the case.
The chaos of Trump continues.
What he’s doing to this country, the extremism and danger he and his allies present, has to end.
Only when those who support and enable him decide to be done with this toxic behavior will this all be behind us.
— Congressman Greg Landsman (@RepGregLandsman) June 8, 2023
At the same time, incumbent US President Joe Biden is also facing investigations concerning classified documents found in his home from his time as Senator and Vice-President under the Obama administration. Compared to Trump, though, Biden is said to be cooperating with authorities.
Across social media platforms, the Biden administration and Democrats are accused by Republicans of purposefully going after Trump to stop him from running for president in 2024. It is important to note, however, that a grand jury decided to indict Donald Trump, not the government.
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Already before the Trump indictment news, President Biden stated: “I have never once, not one single time, suggested to the Justice Department what they should do or not do relative to bringing a charge or not bringing a charge.”
Biden is yet to make a public statement on the newly brought forward charges against his predecessor while Trump told Fox News Digital that he will plead not guilty, calling it “election interference at the highest level.”
On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!”
President Trump’s indictment isn’t just a dangerous display of our two-tiered system of justice and weaponized government.
It’s election interference.
— Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) June 9, 2023
Many Republicans have expressed their support for the former president in these criminal proceedings, including Trump’s presidential race rival Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida and Vivek Ramaswamy, an American entrepreneur.
However, not all Republicans stand behind Trump. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate, has publicly stated Trump should end his campaign in light of the indictment.
See below for Governor Hutchinson’s statement on Donald Trump’s recent indictment: pic.twitter.com/x4jfWJe38R
— Gov. Asa Hutchinson (@AsaHutchinson) June 9, 2023
What about Trump 2024?
There are no constitutional provisions which bar a presidential candidate from running for president or stop a criminally convicted person from taking office. Hence, the indictment or the criminal charges cannot hinder Trump from running for president in the 2024 elections.
So far, the past indictment in New York or any other lawsuit against the billionaire has not stopped him from pursuing his campaign. Notably, support for Trump seems to be stable despite the allegations.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Featured Photo: Donald Trump with supporters at a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona, 29 October 2016. Featured Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore.
