Former President Donald Trump is set to appear in a Miami courtroom on Tuesday, facing criminal charges related to the mishandling of classified material. Immediately following his court appearance, Trump has announced plans to resume his campaign activities.
Scheduled to surrender himself to authorities in Miami at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Trump will plead not guilty to the 37 felony counts filed against him. The charges primarily revolve around allegations of deliberately withholding classified government documents that were demanded by both the National Archives and the Department of Justice upon his departure from office. The detailed 49-page indictment was unsealed over the weekend in anticipation of the court proceedings.
In an official statement released by his campaign, Trump revealed his intention to follow the court date with a public appearance at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey.
“President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will deliver remarks at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 8:15 PM EDT,” the campaign announced.
Expressing his innocence on social media, Trump attributed the charges to his presidential campaign rather than his actions as a private citizen. During campaign stops in Georgia and North Carolina over the weekend, he reiterated his stance, proclaiming himself an “innocent man” and claiming that the indictment was a result of attempts to obstruct his political ambitions.
“The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration’s weaponized Department of Injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country,” Trump asserted during a speech in Columbus, Georgia. “In the end, they’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you, and I’m just standing in their way.”
Defiant in the face of the charges, Trump also declared his commitment to continue his political pursuits, even if convicted.
“I’ll never leave,” he told Politico in an interview aboard his plane following the Georgia rally.
According to the unsealed indictment, Trump is accused of storing classified documents in inappropriate locations, including a bathroom and a ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago resort-turned-residence, thereby granting unauthorized individuals access to sensitive materials. Charging documents further allege that the former president instructed his lawyers to destroy certain classified records, concealed others from his legal team, and disregarded repeated government demands to return the documents.
During his 2016 campaign rallies, Trump frequently led chants of “Lock her up,” referring to Hillary Clinton’s alleged mishandling of classified information. Following a yearlong inquiry, the FBI closed the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server, determining that no criminal intent was present.
Over the weekend, Trump drew comparisons between his case and the justice systems of authoritarian regimes, accusing President Joe Biden of selectively targeting him for political reasons.
“Joe Biden is trying to jail his leading political opponent, just like in Stalinist Russia or Communist China. I never thought such a thing could happen in America. No different,” Trump stated passionately.