The day after his indictment by federal justice, Donald Trump was in the southeastern United States to participate in two Republican conventions. For his first speeches since the announcement of this historic indictment, the former president castigated a judicial system which he considers “corrupt”. He is the subject of 37 counts of indictment for having, when he left the White House, carried away thousands of documents, some of which were confidential, when he should have entrusted them to the National Archives, and for having then refused to return most of it despite reminders from the FBI.
This indictment, the second in two months, after a first pronounced by the justice of the State of New York, in April, for accounting fraud, paves the way for a 2024 presidential election like no other, where the Ministry of Justice of incumbent Democratic President is pursuing the Republican primary favorite.
Donald Trump, who repeats that he is the victim of a political cabal, took part in two Republican conventions in the southeastern United States on Saturday, first in Georgia and then in North Carolina, beating up against what he called an unfair legal attack on him.
“You’re dealing with lunatics,” the former president said in Greensboro, North Carolina. “The baseless indictment against me by the Biden government’s instrumentalized ministry of injustice will stand among the most horrendous abuses of power in our country’s history,” he said.
Earlier, in Columbus, Georgia, Donald Trump told the crowd that he was being sued for running for a second term in the White House. “That’s why they do it, if I wasn’t [candidate for a new presidential term, editor’s note], there would be no witch hunt, there would be no indictment “, he argued in front of his supporters.
Both meetings took place just three days before his appearance in federal court in Miami. He is accused of endangering the national security of the United States by keeping confidential documents, including military and nuclear secrets, when he left the White House.
The indictment, released on Friday, has 37 counts, including “unlawful withholding of national security information”, “obstructing justice” and “false testimony”. Donald Trump has already reacted to his indictment announcement through a series of posts on his Truth Social network as well as in a video statement posted on Twitter, calling the investigating special prosecutor, Jack Smith, “deranged” and denouncing electoral interference supposedly orchestrated by his rival Joe Biden. The latter indicated that he had “not spoken” to his Minister of Justice about it.
“They are attacking me because we are again ahead of Biden in the polls, and by a lot,” assured Donald Trump, despite the fact that opinion polls do not show a clear advantage at this stage.
The Republican camp has so far generally closed ranks around Donald Trump. Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy, whose relationship with the tumultuous billionaire has not always been good, said the former president’s indictment marked a “dark day” for the United States. United. And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, his main challenger for the Republican nomination, has joined in denouncing a supposedly “instrumentalized” Justice Department.