I am innocent, Trump claims after he’s charged with 37 federal crimes

Impeached twice and survived. Charged, sued, and survived. Former President Donald Trump is facing criminal trial in a separate New York court and is surviving, so far. And now facing 37 counts of federal charges. Will Trump survive this too?

On Friday, 9 June, the US Department of Justice’s Special Counsel, Jack Smith, delivered remarks at a press conference in Washington, DC, in the United States, stating that “an indictment was unsealed charging Donald J. Trump with felony violations of our national security laws as well as participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.” An official Justice Department statement was also made public. “We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone,” said Mr Smith, adding that his “office will seek a speedy trial in this matter. Consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused.”

While “the defendants, in this case, must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” former president Donald Trump is facing these charges for having kept classified documents and conspiring with a top aide, who helped him to hide them from the United States Government. “The defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” a Justice Department statement said.

Globally, is it unique for presidents to face criminal charges or be prosecuted? No. There are many past examples: former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. In fact, in the last two decades, more than 70 countries around the world have jailed, prosecuted, or imprisoned their former leaders, including Sudan, South Africa, South Korea, Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan, and many others.

What is unique about Mr Trump? Has it happened in America before? Never. One vice president came close, though — former Vice President Aaron Burr faced treason charges 216 years ago, in 1807. Former president Bill Clinton’s cases did not even come anywhere close to what Mr Trump is facing.

America and Mr Trump are, therefore, in uncharted territory.

The Charges

US authorities unsealed details of the charges against Mr Trump, revealing that he stands accused of obstructing justice and keeping classified government documents and storing them in his home in the State of Florida. In boxes, the various materials were stored away in cupboards, closets, and bathrooms. The Justice Department’s claim is that the documents contain national security information that could put the US at risk; at risk of information getting into the hands of foreign governments.

To break this down, there are 37 counts involving classified documents. Mr Trump is also accused of having lied to investigators. He denies any wrongdoing.

This Tuesday, 13 June, Mr Trump is expected to stand in a federal courtroom in the City of Miami, where he will be read the charges against him.

Unfazed Trump commences campaigns

Seemingly unfazed, and despite facing these federal charges, Mr Trump, the 45th president of the United States, planned to hit the 2024 election campaign trail and make at least two campaign stops and two speeches at two Republican Party conventions in the States of Georgia and North Carolina, on Saturday, 10 June. He plans to be out on the campaign trail, where he will be responding to the charges while addressing his Republican supporters and raising more campaign funds.

He has cast himself as a victim of politically motivated efforts by people who want to stop his front-runner status in his bid for the nomination to be the presidential candidate for the Republican Party. The eventual Republican Party presidential candidate will run against incumbent President Joseph Biden in the 2024 US Election.

“I had nothing to hide, nor do I now. Nobody said I wasn’t allowed to look at the personal records that I brought with me from the White House. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Mr Trump claimed on his social media platform called Truth Social, on Friday. He has called the legal actions against him “election interference” and his 2024 presidential campaign hopes to raise donations from his supporters.

Mr Trump has already raised substantial amounts of money for his 2024 presidential bid. Between 11 November 2022 and 31 March 2023, alone, Mr Trump raised over $18 million ($18,272,903.09), according to the US Federal Election Commission on its webpage.

As of June 2023, Ballotpedia had identified three noteworthy Democratic presidential candidates and 11 noteworthy Republican candidates.

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Among Mr Trump’s opponents in the Republican primary election field are his former vice president, Mike Pence, who threw his hat in the race on 7 June; the former governor of New Jersey, who announced his bid on 6 June; the governor of Florida, who went public on 24 May, and former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor, who announced on 24 February. It is a full field full of candidates, who just before these new set of charges lag far behind Mr Trump in election polling. Reputable polling shows that Mr Trump had doubled his lead over one Florida contender, Governor Ron DeSantis.
Mr Trump remains at the top of the list of declared or potential candidates with 56 per cent support among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, followed by Mr DeSantis with 25 per cent, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll released today.