Trump indictment news: Trump leaves Bedminster ahead of Miami arraignment where he faces 37 federal charges

Former president Donald Trump will head to Miami today ahead of his arraignment on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

The former president is expected to fly from his New Jersey golf club to Miami International Airport on Monday afternoon, to spend the night at his Mar-a-Lago estate – the Florida home where he is accused of hoarding troves of classified papers, including national defence information.

Mr Trump will then appear for his arraignment in a federal courtroom in downtown Miami on Tuesday afternoon, before flying straight back to New Jersey where he has announced plans to deliver remarks that night.

While Mr Trump gave defiant speeches at two Republican state conventions on Saturday in Georgia and North Carolina, his former attorney general Bill Barr has said that – after reviewing the indictment – he believes Mr Trump is “toast”.

“If even half of it is true, then he’s toast,” he said of the 49-page indictment.

Mr Trump responded by lashing out at Mr Barr both on Truth Social and during a sprawling interview on Roger Stone’s radio show where he branded the former top prosecutor a “gutless pig”.

Key Points

• Trump indictment unsealed

• The federal charges against Donald Trump

• Jack Smith defends Trump indictment: ‘We have one set of laws and they apply to everyone’

• Trump vows to stay in 2024 race even if convicted

• Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech

• Trump delivers defiant speech after indictment in North Carolina

Nikki Haley says Trump was ‘incredibly reckless with our national security’ if allegations are true

00:00 , Ariana Baio

Former South Carolina Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley said if the allegations laid out in the indictment against Donald Trump are true then he was “incredibly reckless” with national security.

While speaking with Fox News, Ms Haley said she believes the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have “lost all credibility with the American people” but that doesn’t mean the allegations against Mr Trump are insignificant.

“If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, president Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security,” Ms Haley said.

She added: “This puts all of our military men and women in danger if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies. And if that’s the case it’s reckless, it’s frustrating and it causes problems.”

Miami mayor says city braced for protests ahead of Trump court appearance amid far-right threats

23:00 , Ariana Baio

Miami mayor Francis Suarez says his city is braced for right-wing protests with Donald Trump set to make his first appearance there on secret document criminal charges.

Mr Suarez told reporters on Monday that people had the right to protest in Miami but that law enforcement was ready to deal with any violence.

“People should have the right to express themselves, but we also believe in law and order, and we know that — we hope that tomorrow will be peaceful,” said Mr Suarez.

Graeme Massie reports:

Miami mayor says city braced for protests ahead of Trump court appearance

Will Trump’s arraignment be live-streamed?

22:44 , Graeme Massie

Former president Donald Trump is expected to surrender to authorities at a federal courthouse in Miami, Florida on Tuesday (13 June) on 37 charges related to his retention of classified documents.

It will be Mr Trump’s second arraignment, his first being in New York earlier this year.

Just like that one, this arraignment will not be live-streamed.

Cameras will not be allowed in the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr courthouse during the former president’s arraignment. However, new reporters who manage to get a seat at the hearing will be allowed to use electronic devices but only in text function and not verbatim.

“News reporters are not authorized to record or transmit in any way audio, still photography, or video from anywhere inside courthouses nor from inside courtrooms, including any lobby areas, of any building housing a federal court,” the Southern District of Florida court website says.

Trump heads to Doral property ahead of arraignment on 37 federal charges -

22:30 , Graeme Massie

Handcuffs, fingerprints or a mugshot? What to expect as Trump faces arraignment in federal court

22:00 , Ariana Baio

After a grand jury recommended criminal charges against Donald Trump, federal prosecutors issued a sweeping 37-count indictment charging the former president with obstruction and the unlawful retention of national defense information for allegedly storing dozens of sensitive government documents at his Florida home and refusing to turn them over to federal authorities.

His arraignment at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr United States Courthouse in Miami is scheduled for 3pm ET on 13 June.

Alex Woodward reports:

Handcuffs or a mugshot? What to expect as Trump faces arraignment in federal court

John Bolton says Trump thought ‘cool’ secret documents ‘might be souvenirs’

21:30 , Ariana Baio

Former Trump administration official John Bolton says he thinks that former president Donald Trump likely kept documents because he thought they were “cool” or might be a “souvenir” from his presidency.

Mr Bolton, who worked as Mr Trump’s national security adviser, told CNN that Mr Trump did not think about the sensitivity of the documents, The Daily Mail reported.

“And so I think a lot of these documents, he may have just thought were cool, a lot of them he thought might be souvenirs. A lot of them he thought might be useful to him later. I can’t answer the question until iI see the document,” he said.

Mr Bolton said he did not know which documents Mr Trump took but he was familiar with which types of documents were placed before the former president.

Eric Garcia reports:

John Bolton says Trump thought ‘cool’ secret documents ‘might be souvenirs’

Police monitoring online far-right threats and pro-Trump protests with federal indictment

21:00 , Ariana Baio

Law enforcement agencies and extremism researchers are closely monitoring online threats and escalating rhetoric surrounding Donald Trump’s arraignment as the former president formally faces federal criminal charges in a sweeping indictment connected to his possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property.

Mr Trump continues to deny wrongdoing, casting the multiple investigations and lawsuits involving him, his campaign or business empire as a hoax, a fraud or a politically motivated hit job against him or his agenda, while using apocalyptic rhetoric and furious social media posts to draw support to his 2024 campaign fund and legal efforts.

Alex Woodward reports:

Trump supporters plan protests as police monitor far-right threats over federal case

McCarthy insinuates classified documents found in Mar-a-Lago bathroom are more secure than Biden’s garage

20:30 , Ariana Baio

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy positively compared the classified documents found in the bathroom at Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago to documents found in President Joe Biden’s garage.

While speaking with the press, Mr McCarthy insinuated the classified documents in the Mar-a-Lago bathroom would be safer than in a garage because: “A bathroom door locks.

One member of the media asked Mr McCarthy: “Is that a good look for the former president to have boxes in the bathroom?”

In response, Mr McCarthy said: “I don’t know, is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.”

Trump lands in Miami, one day ahead of arraignment

20:12 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump has landed in Miami, Florida – approximately one day ahead of his expected arraignment.

Mr Trump’s private plane touched down around 3.00pm local time.

The former president is expected to remain in Florida until his hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday (13 June) afternoon. After, Mr Trump will head back to his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey and later give remarks at his golf club.

What is an indictment?

20:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump on Thursday broke another legal barrier when he became the first former US president ever to be federally indicted.

A federal grand jury indicted Mr Trump in the investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified documents. The indictment unsealed on Friday revealed 37 counts against the former president, including conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of documents, and false statements.

Here’s a rundown of what all the legal terminology means and how we might see Mr Trump’s case progress through the criminal justice system.

Abe Asher and Gustaf Kilander report:

What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing

Law enforcement prepare for Trump arrival in Miami

19:30 , Ariana Baio

Federal law enforcement agents are preparing for former president Donald Trump’s arrival in Miami, Florida ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday (13 June).

Photos show Department of Homeland Security police putting police tape in front of the federal courthouse where Mr Trump is scheduled to appear.

In addition, authorities are monitoring plans for pro-Trump rallies, according to The Washington Post. This includes a supposed rally that will take place outside of the courthouse on Tuesday allegedly organised by a chapter of The Proud Boys.

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

19:00 , Ariana Baio

A Florida district judge assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s classified documents case is attracting criticism ahead of his court appearance in Miami – given that it was Mr Trump himself who elevated her to the bench three years ago.

Unless she chooses to recuse herself, Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, will be placed in charge of the timing and progression of the criminal case as well as rulings on motions brought by the defence and prosecution.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

Trump claims he will ‘go after’ Joe Biden if elected president

18:45 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump claimed he would appoint a special prosecutor and go after President Joe Biden, as well as his family, should he become president in an angry Truth Social rant.

In an all-caps post, Mr Trump made a bevy of promises to fulfill should he get elected president including ‘closing the border’, ‘making American energy independent’ and ‘dominate again’.

“I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself,” Mr Trump posted.

In addition to the 37 federal charges related to the investigation of classified documents, Mr Trump is also facing an investigation in Georgia into alleged election interference in 2020.

Watch live: Trump supporters hold rally in Miami as ex-president faces arraignment

18:30 , Ariana Baio

Watch live: View outside Trump’s Bedminster home ahead of Miami arraignment

Trump struggles to find new defence counsel as Miami arraignment looms

18:00 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump spent much of the day before his first appearance as a criminal defendant in federal court in search of experienced legal representation, but without much in the way of results.

Mr Trump, who departed on Monday afternoon from the resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he primarily resides during the summer months to travel to Miami aboard his bespoke Boeing 757, has spent much of the last year and a half cycling through a rotating cast of criminal defence attorneys as he has contended with the Department of Justice probe that resulted in his unprecedented indictment under the Espionage Act last week.

Two of the more experienced criminal defence lawyers in his stable, James Trusty and John Rowley, quit the ex-president’s team on Thursday, just hours after a Florida grand jury voted to charge him with 37 separate counts stemming from alleged violations of the Espionage Act and other portions of the US criminal code.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Trump struggles to find new defence counsel as Miami arraignment looms

WATCH: Trump waves as he boards plane to Miami arraignment

17:45 , Ariana Baio

VOICES: Lindsey Graham is lying for Trump. And it shows the real issue with the Republican party

17:30 , Ariana Baio

“Over the weekend, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham provided an unusually straightforward demonstration of how right-wing populism justifies itself. As everyone who follows the news is aware, former president Donald Trump was indicted on 37 charges last week, including violations of the Espionage Act, after he allegedly took secret documents from the White House. Graham went on ABC’s This Week to defend Trump.”

Noah Berlatsky writes:

Lindsey Graham is lying for Donald Trump | Opinion

Trump plane departs New Jersey for Florida as ex-president faces 37 charges

17:24 , Ariana Baio

WATCH: Trump departs for Miami ahead of arraignment

17:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump departs Bedminster ahead of Miami arraignment

16:45 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump has departed from Bedminster, New Jersey to head to Florida ahead of his arraignment.

The former GOP president is set to travel to Miami today, Monday, 12 June, ahead of his arraignment on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

He is due to appear in Miami federal court on Tuesday (13 June), following the unsealing of his indictment on Friday.

Prosecutors are expected to charge Mr Trump with willful retention of national defence secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents in a federal investigation and making false statements.

Trump prepares to depart for Miami ahead of indictment arraignment

16:30 , Ariana Baio

On Truth Social, former president Donald Trump said he was getting ready to depart for Miami for his arraignment as part of the federal indictment against him while blaming the left for “destroying our country”.

“Getting ready to head down to Doral in Miami,” Mr Trump wrote.

“We must all be STRONG and DEFEAT the Communists, Marxists, and Radical Left Lunatics that are systematically destroying our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” He added.

Watch live: View outside Trump’s Bedminster home ahead of Miami arraignment

16:15 , Ariana Baio

Watch live as former Republican president Donald Trump is expected to depart his Bedminster home for Florida.

Watch live here:

Watch live: View outside Trump’s Bedminster home ahead of Miami arraignment

WATCH: Ex homeland security official say Trump had ‘blatant disregard for rules'

16:00 , Ariana Baio

Ex-Trump security official says his handling of classified documents could have cost lives

15:30 , Ariana Baio

A Trump administration Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official has given a stunning assessment of the toll that Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents has taken on the safety and security of the American people.

Elizabeth Neumann, who served as the DHS’s assistant secretary for counterterrorism from February 2017 to April 2020 and now works as an ABC News contributor, told ABC’s This Week that lives may have been lost as a result of the former president’s actions.

“This causes people to die,” she said.

“This is a very serious top secret [and] special access program.

“When they fall into the wrong hands, people die and the United States’ security is deeply compromised.”

Rachel Sharp reports:

Ex-Trump official says his handling of classified documents could have cost lives

How Trump’s second indictment unfolded: A timeline of the investigation into Mar-a-Lago documents

15:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges relating to the storage of classified national defence documents dating from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 45th president of the United States will now appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday 13 June, his lawyer has since confirmed. Should he ultimately be convicted, he could face a maximum combined sentence of 100 years in prison.

Looking back from the start of the investigation until the indictment, here’s the timeline surrounding the investigations into the documents.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

A timeline of the investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents

Evidence in classified documents indictment may have come from Trump’s lawyer

14:30 , Ariana Baio

Some evidence included in the federal indictment against former president Donald Trump allegedly included voice notes recorded by Mr Trump’s lawyer M Evan Corcoran.

According to a report from The New York Times, Mr Corcoran allegedly recorded voice notes describing his work for Mr Trump when he was hired as a legal team member. The notes supposedly included a “narrative tone” from Mr Corcoran where he recounted his time working for Mr Trump – including the former president allegedly asking his attorneys to ignore the initial subpoena.

Mr Corcoran’s voice notes were obtained as evidence via a crime-fraud exception which can allow prosecutors to obtain evidence around the attorney-client privilege if the communications in question were in furtherance of the crime.

Who is Aileen Cannon? The Trump-appointed judge overseeing his classified documents case

14:00 , Rachel Sharp

A Florida district judge assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s classified documents case is attracting criticism ahead of his court appearance in Miami – given that it was Mr Trump himself who elevated her to the bench three years ago.

Unless she chooses to recuse herself, Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, will be placed in charge of the timing and progression of the criminal case as well as rulings on motions brought by the defence and prosecution.

If the former president is then convicted, she would also be tasked with handing down a sentence to the very man who nominated her to that position.

Read more here:

Who is Aileen Cannon? Trump-appointed judge overseeing classified documents case

FBI monitors online threats ahead of Trump indictment

13:42 , Rachel Sharp

The FBI is monitoring online forums and activity for potential security threats ahead of Donald Trump’s looming indictment on federal criminal charges.

Law enforcement sources told CNN that FBI special agents assigned to domestic terrorism squads are actively working to identify any possible threats as the former president is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on federal criminal charges.

So far, no specific, credible threats have been uncovered, the sources said.

However, several Mr Trump supporters have announced plans to travel to Miami to rally round the former president.

The convicted Capitol rioter known as Baked Alaska revealed on social media that he is heading to Miami on Tuesday and the Proud Boys are also said to be planning their attendance.

Mr Trump’s allies and some GOP lawmakers have also made incendiary comments online following the news of his indictment.

Rep Andy Biggs tweeted on Friday: “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.”

Convicted Jan 6 rioter Baked Alaska vows to support Trump at arraignment

13:20 , Rachel Sharp

The convicted Capitol rioter known as Baked Alaska has revealed his plans to travel to Miami to support Donald Trump at his arraignment on Tuesday.

Anthime Gionet was convicted of unlawful protest after he livestreamed himself among the mob of Mr Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6 2021 in an effort to overturn the election in the former president’s favour.

He was sentenced to two months in prison and was released in March.

On Friday, Gionet posted another livestream from outside Mar-a-Lago where he revealed his intentions to be in Miami for the former president’s court appearance.

A second person is heard admonishing him that he shouldn’t have mentioned that, to which Gionet replies: “I know but it leaked so f*** it.”

The FBI is monitoring online activity for signs of any threats on or around Tuesday as Mr Trump faces 37 charges over his handling of classified documents.

‘If even half of it is true, he is toast’:

13:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr gave a devastating analysis of the indictment against Donald Trump, his former boss, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

Mr Barr said that if even half of what is alleged in the 49-page, 37-count document is true, then the former president is “toast”.

Read more...

Bill Barr gives devastating analysis of Trump indictment on Fox News

Trump to give post-arraignment speech on Tuesday night

12:40 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has announced plans to deliver a post-arraignment speech on Tuesday night.

The former president will be arraigned at 3pm ET on Tuesday on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House.

He will then fly straight back to his New Jersey golf club to deliver remarks at 8.15pm ET.

Video resurfaces of Kid Rock claiming Trump showed him secret maps

12:20 , Rachel Sharp

A video has resurfaced online of Kid Rock claiming that Donald Trump showed him secret maps.

In the 2022 interview with Tucker Carlson, Kid claims the former president also discussed what they should do about North Korea.

“We’re looking at maps and s***, and I’m like, ‘Am I supposed to be in on this s***?’ ‘What do you think we should do about North Korea?’ I’m like, ‘What? I don’t think I’m qualified to answer this,’” Kid says in the clip.

North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment

12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Any thought that Donald Trump’s latest would dampen Republican primary voters’ enthusiasm for his candidacy was quickly dispelled by the overwhelming reception the former president received at the North Carolina Republican Convention.

Eric Garcia reports from Greensboro, North Carolina.

North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment

Trump heads to Miami today for Tuesday’s court appearance

11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is expected to travel to Miami today ahead of his court appearance on a slew of 37 charges over his handling of classified documents.

The former president is currently staying at his golf resort in New Jersey and is expected to fly to Miami International Airport on Monday afternoon, reported NBC News.

He will then spend the night at his Mar-a-Lago estate – the Florida home where he is accused of hoarding classified documents after leaving office – before appearing in a federal courtroom in downtown Miami on Tuesday afternoon.

After the court appearance, he is expected to fly straight back to New Jersey where he will deliver remarks that night.

Ex-Trump DHS official says his actions over classified documents 'cause people to die'

11:20 , Rachel Sharp

A Trump administration Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official has given a stunning assessment of the toll that Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents may have taken on the safety of the American people.

Elizabeth Neumann, who served as the DHS’s assistant secretary for counterterrorism from February 2017 to April 2020 and is now an ABC News contributor, told ABC’s This Week that people could have lost their lives because of the former president’s actions.

“I found the indictment to be a really vivid picture for the American public of what the national security community dealt with for four years when he was president,” she said.

“He had a blatant disregard, just did not care to follow the rules. And not only did he not protect our country’s most sensitive secrets.

“That’s not protecting American lives because you have military and intelligence community personnel that are now put at risk.”

She added: “This causes people to die! This is very serious. Top secret special access programs, when they fall into the wrong hands, people die and the United States security is deeply compromised.”

What are the differences between Trump’s indictment and the Clinton email probe?

11:00 , Oliver O'Connell

As former President Donald Trump prepares for a momentous court appearance Tuesday on charges related to the hoarding of top-secret documents, Republican allies are amplifying, without evidence, claims that he is the target of a political prosecution.

To press their case, Trump’s backers are citing the Justice Department‘s decision in 2016 not to bring charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in that year’s presidential race, over her handling of classified information. His supporters also are invoking a separate classified documents investigation concerning President Joe Biden to allege a two-tier system of justice that is punishing Trump, the undisputed early front-runner for the GOP’s 2024 White House nomination, for conduct that Democrats have engaged in.

“Is there a different standard for a Democratic secretary of state versus a former Republican president?” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump primary rival. “I think there needs to be one standard of justice in this country.”

But those arguments overlook abundant factual and legal differences — chiefly relating to intent, state of mind and deliberate acts of obstruction — that limit the value of any such comparisons.

A look at the Clinton, Biden and Trump investigations and what separates them:

Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences

CNN to hold Chris Christie town hall tonight

10:40 , Rachel Sharp

CNN is slated to hold a town hall tonight with Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie.

Mr Christie, the former New Jersey governor and one-time Donald Trump ally turned critic, will join the network for the live event at 8pm ET on 12 June.

Last week, Mr Christie threw his hat into the race for the White House in what is being eyed as a longshot bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

His appearance makes him the fourth Republican candidate to join CNN for a town hall after Mr Trump, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence have all made appearances.

Trump’s favourability rises in poll despite indictment

10:20 , Rachel Sharp

The popularity of Donald Trump rose among Americans despite him becoming the first president to be indicted twice, while Joe Biden’s favourability marked a decline, according to a latest poll

The poll suggested that the ex-president was consolidating more and more support from the people who believe his federal indictment was politically motivated at a time when he is running for the White House and is considered as the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Mr Trump emerged as the favourable choice of 31 per cent of people, marking a six per cent rise from April, a poll by ABC News and Ipsos conducted after his second indictment suggested.

Read the full story here:

Trump’s favourability rises in poll despite indictment

Jim Jordan rejects Trump’s statement suggesting Mar-a-Lago papers weren’t declassified

10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Donald Trump’s most loyal champions in the House of Representatives battled a CNN reporter on Sunday over whether all the documents retained without the consent of the National Archives at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate were declassified.

Jim Jordan, chair of the House Oversight Committee, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union for an interview with Dana Bash. During the interview, the two disagreed over whether Mr Trump himself had admitted that some of the documents he retained were still classified, which statements cited by the Justice Department in his indictment suggest was the case.

John Bowden reports.

Jim Jordan rejects Trump statement suggesting Mar-a-Lago papers weren’t declassified

Trump-appointed judge will stay on Mar-a-Lago documents case

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge appointed to the bench by Donald Trump and previously scrutinised for rulings that were solidly in Mr Trump’s favour was assigned to preside over his prosecution in a Florida court under normal procedures, denying the possibility that the case will be reassigned.

That was the explanation from the chief clerk of the court in a statement to The New York Times this weekend as many raised their eyebrows and speculated about the effect that Ms Cannon’s rulings could have in the upcoming criminal trial of the former president.

John Bowden has the story.

Trump-appointed judge will stay on Mar-a-Lago documents case unless she recuses

Kari Lake issues incendiary threat to Biden admin

08:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Kari Lake, the GOP nominee and election denier who lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, has issued an incendiary warning to the Biden administration over the indictment of Donald Trump.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Kari Lake called out over incendiary threat to Biden admin after Trump indictment

Jonathan Turley tells Fox News the Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’

07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News legal commentator Jonathan Turley didn’t hold back after the indictment charging former President Donald Trump with 37 counts was unsealed.

The indictment, unsealed on Friday afternoon, stems from Mr Trump’s allegedly unlawful retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.

Trump aide Walt Nauta has also been charged after he was apparently spotted on surveillance footage moving boxes at the property. The ex-president stands accused of having moved classified documents from the White House at the end of his presidency despite not having the right to do so.

Mr Trump showed classified documents to others twice in 2021, the legal filing states.

Mr Turley, the Shapiro Chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, said on Fox News on Friday afternoon that “it is an extremely damning indictment”.

Jonathan Turley tells Fox News Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’

Trump delivers defiant speech in North Carolina

06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump delivered a defiant speech in North Carolina on Saturday night despite being indicted just days before, taking swipes at the Justice Department, the investigation that led to the indictment and even his Republican opponents.

Eric Garcia reports from Greensboro, North Carolina.

Trump delivers defiant speech after indictment in North Carolina

Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

During his first public remarks since the unsealing of the 49-page, 37-charge indictment against him, Donald Trump again lashed out at special counsel Jack Smith the lead prosecutor in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe.

Speaking at the state Republican Party convention in Columbus, Georgia, the former president and current presidential candidate gave a meandering stump speech weaving in his apparent incredulity regarding the charges levied against him.

As with all of his foes, political or judicial, Mr Trump has already veered into personal attacks against the individuals concerned on his social media platform Truth Social but relished his first opportunity to talk to a large, enraptured crowd of followers.

Read more...

Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech with bizarre claim

Is Donald Trump going to prison?

04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s what everyone wants to know.

Is Donald Trump going to prison?

Key takeaways from the Trump indictment

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The federal indictment against Donald Trump outlines 37 counts related to retaining classified information, willfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and more.

The indictment was unsealed on Friday (9 June) afternoon, revealing the Department of Justice’s findings after a nearly year-long investigation into Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Last August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized boxes of documents from Mr Trump’s home, some of which included top secret records detailing a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities, via a search warrant.

The search warrant was executed after the National Archives made multiple attempts to obtain classified documents that Mr Trump allegedly took with him when he left office in 2021.

The indictment lays out various allegations against Mr Trump and names his aide Walt Nauta as a co-conspirator.

Here are key points from the indictment:

Eight key takeaways from the Trump indictment

Lawyer says DoJ will ‘go for incarceration’ if Trump is convicted

02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Department of Justice is likely to attempt to have former President Donald Trump incarcerated if he’s convicted following the indictment laying out 37 charges against him in relation to his handling of classified national defence information.

National security lawyer and George Washington University law professor Kel McClanahan said that the department will probably “want to go for incarceration” in the case of Mr Trump, according to Insider.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

DoJ to ‘go for incarceration’ if Trump is convicted, national security lawyer says

‘Such a two-bit criminal’

01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has been mocked for praising an attorney who deleted 30,000 of Hillary Clinton’s emails, according to the unsealed indictment from special counsel Jack Smith.

As a candidate and president, Mr Trump repeatedly called for his 2016 presidential opponent to be locked up after she was found to have been “extremely careless” in using a private server for official communications as secretary of state.

Privately, he joked about how her lawyers had “done a great job” deleting the emails and in his telling, protecting her from scrutiny, according to the indictment.

Bevan Hurley has the story.

Trump mocked after indictment reveals he praised staffer who deleted Clinton emails

Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies

Monday 12 June 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies after leaving the White House, the 49-page and 37-count unsealed indictment against the former president has revealed.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies including CIA, DoD, and NSA

Florida man: Why prosecutors charged Trump in the Sunshine State

Sunday 11 June 2023 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It was anticipated that a federal investigation into Donald Trump’s retention of top-secret documents months after he left the White House would result in charges in Washington DC.

But the damning 37-count indictment, with more than two dozen counts of illegally withholding classified documents under the Espionage Act, was filed on 8 June in US District Court in Florida, his primary residence and the location of his notorious Mar-a-Lago resort property, where mounds of boxes with sensitive government documents were discovered by federal law enforcement.

Alex Woodward reports.

What a Florida grand jury and judge means for Trump’s indictment

Indictment: Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map with fundraiser

Sunday 11 June 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump described a “plan of attack” devised by the Pentagon and shared a classified military map with a member of his political action committee who didn’t have a security clearance, the 37-count indictment against the former president shows.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map

Former president’s indictment overshadows DeSantis in North Carolina

Sunday 11 June 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

In another era, a Republican frontrunner facing his second indictment in three months would mean that primary voters would actively be shopping for other candidates to put up against a president as unpopular as President Joe Biden.

Instead, former president Donald Trump’s indictment, which he announced on Thursday evening and which was unsealed on Friday, calcified his support among Republican voters at the North Carolina Republican Convention in Greensboro. If anything, the 37-count indictment accusing Mr Trump of showing highly classified information to unauthorised persons on two separate occasions made Republicans in the Tar Heel State more likely to support him.

Eric Garcia reports.

Trump indictment overshadows DeSantis in North Carolina

Boebert claims she’s considered a ‘security threat’ by Pentagon

Sunday 11 June 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert has suggested that the Pentagon believes that she’s a “security threat”.

“Apparently the Pentagon thinks I’m a security threat because I oppose Biden’s plans for a woke military. Call me whatever you want, but I’m not backing down today or ever,” she tweeted on Saturday.

Gustaf Kilander has the story and the mocking responses she received.

Lauren Boebert claims Pentagon considers her a ‘security threat’

What are the differences between Trump’s indictment and the Clinton email probe?

Sunday 11 June 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

As former President Donald Trump prepares for a momentous court appearance Tuesday on charges related to the hoarding of top-secret documents, Republican allies are amplifying, without evidence, claims that he is the target of a political prosecution.

To press their case, Trump’s backers are citing the Justice Department‘s decision in 2016 not to bring charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in that year’s presidential race, over her handling of classified information. His supporters also are invoking a separate classified documents investigation concerning President Joe Biden to allege a two-tier system of justice that is punishing Trump, the undisputed early front-runner for the GOP’s 2024 White House nomination, for conduct that Democrats have engaged in.

“Is there a different standard for a Democratic secretary of state versus a former Republican president?” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump primary rival. “I think there needs to be one standard of justice in this country.”

But those arguments overlook abundant factual and legal differences — chiefly relating to intent, state of mind and deliberate acts of obstruction — that limit the value of any such comparisons.

A look at the Clinton, Biden and Trump investigations and what separates them:

Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences

Water: Maggie Haberman calls Trump indictment ‘one of the most devastating’ she has ever read

Sunday 11 June 2023 21:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Lindsey Graham ties himself in knots trying to defend Trump

Sunday 11 June 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again ally in the Senate issued a half-hearted defence of the former president on Sunday as Republicans across Washington issued varied responses to the federal indictment against the former president.

Sen Lindsey Graham was on ABC’s This Week, where he received a grilling by host George Stephanopoulos about the allegations in the Justice Department’s 37-count indictment, unsealed last week.

John Bowden reports.

Lindsey Graham ties himself in knots trying to defend Trump

Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies

Sunday 11 June 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies after leaving the White House, the 49-page and 37-count unsealed indictment against the former president has revealed.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies including CIA, DoD, and NSA

Trump to speak from golf club after Tuesday night

Sunday 11 June 2023 20:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump says he’ll speak from Bedminster, New Jersey at 815pm on Tuesday, just five hours after he becomes the first ever former US President arraigned on federal criminal charges.

Barr’s comments don’t go unnoticed by Trump

Sunday 11 June 2023 20:52 , Oliver O'Connell

In response to his attorney general’s comments on Fox News, former president Donald Trump posted on Truth Social:

Virtually everyone is saying that the Indictment is about Election Interference & should not have been brought, except Bill Barr, a “disgruntled former employee” & lazy Attorney General who was weak & totally ineffective. He doesn’t mean what he’s saying, it’s just MISINFORMATION. Barr’s doing it because he hates “TRUMP” for firing him. He was deathly afraid of the Radical Left when they said they would Impeach him. He knows the Indictment is Bull…. Turn off FoxNews when that “Gutless Pig” is on!

Watch: Bill Barr dismantles GOP talking points

Sunday 11 June 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Bill Barr also told Fox News Sunday this morning that the entire classified documents case came about because of the reckless conduct of the former president, something he has said before.

However, he also noted: “There are two big lies that are out there right now. One is that: ‘oh, these other presidents took all these documents’ ... and the second thing is this idea that the president has complete authority to declare any document personal is facially ridiculous."

North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia reports from Greensboro, North Carolina:

Any thought that Donald Trump’s latest would dampen Republican primary voters’ enthusiasm for his candidacy was quickly dispelled by the overwhelming reception the former president received at the North Carolina Republican Convention.

Read more...

North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment

Barr: ‘If even half of it is true, he is toast’

Sunday 11 June 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr gave a devastating analysis of the indictment against Donald Trump, his former boss, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

Mr Barr said that if even half of what is alleged in the 49-page, 37-count document is true, then the former president is “toast”.

Read more...

Bill Barr gives devastating analysis of Trump indictment on Fox News

Jim Jordan rejects Trump’s statement suggesting Mar-a-Lago papers weren’t declassified

Sunday 11 June 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Donald Trump’s most loyal champions in the House of Representatives battled a CNN reporter on Sunday over whether all the documents retained without the consent of the National Archives at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate were declassified.

Jim Jordan, chair of the House Oversight Committee, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union for an interview with Dana Bash.

John Bowden reports on what was said.

Jim Jordan rejects Trump statement suggesting Mar-a-Lago papers weren’t declassified

Watch: Michael Cohen gives potential motive for Trump taking classified documents

Sunday 11 June 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Key takeaways from the Trump indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The federal indictment against Donald Trump outlines 37 counts related to retaining classified information, willfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and more.

The indictment was unsealed on Friday (9 June) afternoon, revealing the Department of Justice’s findings after a nearly year-long investigation into Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Last August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized boxes of documents from Mr Trump’s home, some of which included top secret records detailing a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities, via a search warrant.

The search warrant was executed after the National Archives made multiple attempts to obtain classified documents that Mr Trump allegedly took with him when he left office in 2021.

The indictment lays out various allegations against Mr Trump and names his aide Walt Nauta as a co-conspirator.

Here are key points from the indictment:

Eight key takeaways from the Trump indictment

Watch: Rep Goldman says Trump does not believe law applies to him

Sunday 11 June 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Pence struggles to send clear message on Trump indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Mike Pence struggled to take a clear stance on troubles concerning former US president Donald Trump’s indictment in the classified documents case.

Mr Trump is reportedly facing 37 counts of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate.

These charges come less than three months after he was charged in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Earlier this week, during an appearance on CNN, Mr Pence shared his views about Trump’s indictment.

Peony Hirwani reports.

Mike Pence struggles to send clear message on Trump indictment

Watch: Former AG Holder says idea of convicted felon as president ‘absurd’

Sunday 11 June 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Sen Coons says GOP must explain why Trump should be reelected given indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

GOP Congressman’s ‘scary as hell’ tweet seemingly calls for insurrection

Sunday 11 June 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

GOP Representative Clay Higgins appeared to call for an insurrection following the announcement that Donald Trump would face a second set of indictments stemming from his possession of sensitive documents following his presidency.

After the announcement, Mr Higgins, a GOP congressman from Louisiana and a former law enforcement officer, issued a strange tweet responding to the news.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

GOP lawmaker’s tweet seemingly calls for ‘war’ after Trump indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch live as Trump supporters gather in Florida

What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing

Sunday 11 June 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump on Thursday broke another legal barrier when he became the first former US president ever to be federally indicted.

A federal grand jury indicted Mr Trump in the investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified documents. The indictment unsealed on Friday revealed 37 counts against the former president, including conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of documents, and false statements.

He was already under indictment for his role in an alleged scheme to make a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the buildup to the 2016 election.

Now, Mr Trump is facing yet more legal headaches. In a post to Truth Social, he wrote that he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami to be arraigned next Tuesday at 3pm ET.

Here’s a rundown of what all the legal terminology means and how we might see Mr Trump’s case progress through the criminal justice system.

What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing

With indictment overshadowing 2024 race, DeSantis argues he's top Trump alternative

Sunday 11 June 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican White House candidate Ron DeSantis plowed ahead Saturday with efforts to portray himself as his party’s staunchest national conservative leader, even as the 2024 GOP race has been disrupted by drama surrounding the 37-count felony federal indictment for mishandling classified documents against former President Donald Trump.

The Florida governor sought to project strength amid the turmoil by campaigning in Oklahoma — one of more than a dozen states scheduled to hold its Republican primary on Super Tuesday, weeks after the earliest states vote.

Read more...

DeSantis argues he's top Trump alternative even as ex-president's indictment overshadows 2024 race

Watch: Sununu urges 2024 GOP candidates to ‘come out’ on seriousness of Trump indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 16:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Kimberly Guilfoyle posts chilling warning over Trump indictment

Sunday 11 June 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Kimberly Guilfoyle, former Fox News host and Trump adviser — and also fiancé to Donald Trump Jr — has joined the chorus of violent rhetoric that has erupted from the right following the indictment of the former president.

Known for her bombastic presentation style, Ms Guilfoyle is often one of the most vocal supporters of Donald Trump.

After the indictment of the former president on 37 charges relating to the trove of classified documents he retained following his time in office and refused to return to the federal government, Ms Guilfoyle did not hold back.

Read more...

Kimberly Guilfoyle posts chilling warning over Trump indictment

Trump remains defiant at North Carolina GOP convention

Sunday 11 June 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump delivered a defiant speech in North Carolina on Saturday night despite being indicted just days before, taking swipes at the Justice Department, the investigation that led to the indictment and even his Republican opponents.

Mr Trump took the stage at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro for the North Carolina GOP Convention, where he received an overwhelming reception despite his increasing legal woes. The Independent first reported that the Justice Department was ready to seek an indictment agianst Mr Trump, who now faces 37 charges related to his improper handling of classified materials.

A federal grand jury under the supervision of special c ounsel Jack Smith indicted Mr Trump on on a slew of charges, including showing highly classified information to unauthorised people on two separate occasions.

Mr Trump proclaimed his innocence onstage in North Carolina, calling the indictment a plot by “the radical left Democrats” and their “lawless partisan prosecutors.”

Eric Garcia reports from North Carolina.

Trump delivers defiant speech after indictment in North Carolina

Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech

Sunday 11 June 2023 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

During his first public remarks since the unsealing of the 49-page, 37-charge indictment against him, Donald Trump again lashed out at special counsel Jack Smith the lead prosecutor in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe.

Speaking at the state Republican Party convention in Columbus, Georgia, the former president and current presidential candidate gave a meandering stump speech weaving in his apparent incredulity regarding the charges levied against him.

As with all of his foes, political or judicial, Mr Trump has already veered into personal attacks against the individuals concerned on his social media platform Truth Social but relished his first opportunity to talk to a large, enraptured crowd of followers.

Read more...

Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith in post-indictment speech with bizarre claim

Watch: Lindsey Graham believes espionage charges ‘completely wrong'

Sunday 11 June 2023 15:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Former FBI special agent says ‘the receipts are here’ in Trump case

Sunday 11 June 2023 15:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Kari Lake called out over incendiary threat to Biden admin over Trump indictment: ‘This will escalate’

Sunday 11 June 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Kari Lake, the GOP nominee and election denier who lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, has issued an incendiary warning to the Biden administration over the indictment of Donald Trump.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Kari Lake issues incendiary threat to Biden admin over Trump indictment