Trump addresses supporters at his golf club. Photo: Shutterstock
Mr Trump called Joe Biden “the most corrupt president in history.” and accused Biden of using “a gang of his closest thugs, misfits and Marxists” in an attempt to put him in jail for “400 years.”
He said: “The Espionage Act was used to prosecute traitors and spies. This has nothing to do with the fact that the former president legally keeps his documents. I had every right to have these documents.”
Mr. Trump said the “important legal precedent” he would rely on “was set out in the most important case on the subject, known as ” Clinton socks. case.”
He said that after leaving the White House, Bill Clinton took some audio recordings and kept them in his sock drawer.
Mr. Trump said that in the case involving the tapes, the judge decided that “whatever documents the president decides to take with him, he has the right to do so. This is an absolute right. This is the law.”
The former president added that “many people asked me why I need these boxes, why do you need them?”
He said that there were also many personal items in the boxes, including costumes and shoes, as well as thousands of photographs.
The former president said, “I didn't have a chance to go through all the boxes. It's a long tedious job, it takes a lot of time, which I was ready for, but I have a very busy life. Judging by [Clinton's] decision on socks, there was no rush here.”
Earlier, at the Wilkie D. Ferguson federal courthouse in Miami, Trump surrendered and was arrested before appearing in the courtroom on 13 -th floor. .
In this courtroom sketch, lawyer Todd Blanche pleads not guilty on behalf of Donald Trump.
His attorney, Todd Blanche, told Magistrate Jonathan Goodman, “We're definitely making a plea of not guilty.”
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Mr. Trump, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, crossed his arms over his chest, crossed his thumbs and looked depressed during the hearing.
The judge did not restrict his movement, which means he can continue to campaign for the nomination from the Republicans in 2024. Prosecutors said he was not considered a flight hazard.
The judge ruled that he could not speak about the case to witnesses or to Walt Nauth, his valet, who was also charged. Mr. Nauta did not file a guilty plea.
In court, for the first time, Mr. Trump came face-to-face with Jack Smith, the US Department of Justice-appointed special counsel who filed the case.
< p>A few hours earlier, he had attacked Smith as a “crazy thug” and claimed that the evidence against him had been “planted”.
Mr. Trump was believed to have launched an all-out attack on Mr. Smith in defiance of advice from his own legal team.
He said Mr. Smith was a “Trump hater, as were all his friends and family, who probably 'planted' information in the 'boxes' provided to them.”
Donald Trump arrives at his Doral Golf Club Monday. Credit: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Mr Trump arrived at court in a convoy of a dozen cars and was taken to the underground car park after less than 30 minutes from his Doral Golf Club.He was taken to an elevator and then to the US Marshals Office, where he was arrested by FBI agents and processed.
This meant he was electronically fingerprinted but not believed to have been handcuffed and did not take a photograph.< /p>
The normal process of taking a DNA swab from the mouth was also skipped.
Mr. Trump had to fill out a form with his name, address, and occupation.
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At the last minute, there was an attempt to find a defense lawyer who was a member of the Florida Bar, which is necessary for the case.
Eventually, Chris Kise, a Florida lawyer who has been advising Trump on another case since 2022, joined Blanche.
Trump supporters at the courthouse in Miami. Credit: Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images
Supporters outside the court cheered and waved “Trump won” flags while sheltering from the heat under palm trees.
A small number of anti-Trump protesters carried signs that read “Lock him up.”
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Lázaro Ezenar, 48, a supporter, said: “I can't believe he's passing again through it. This is a historic event and I'm just stunned that, as a country that is a beacon to the world, I have to watch this show that shames what America is.”
Trump is accused of keeping clearly marked classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort after he left office, refusing to return them, and conspiring to thwart investigators trying to retrieve them.
The 49-page indictment included photographs of documents stacked in the shower room and ballroom, and others are scattered across the floor of the storage room. .
The Southern District of Florida is a so-called “rocket production” court, which means it tries to process cases as quickly as possible.
Lawyers do not rule out that Trump's trial may take place before the 2024 election.
Republicans defend Trump
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 81% of Republican voters believe the charges against him are politically motivated. .
Kyle Kondik, a non-partisan analyst at the University of Virginia Policy Center, said: “Trump's attacks on the FBI are so common among Republican voters that his opponents can't say otherwise. Trump is in it.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Mr. Trump's closest rival for the Republican nomination, backed him and criticized the Justice Department's “arming” against him. contact Republican voters in the primary if he attacked Trump.
However, Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and 2024 candidate, changed her tone.
She said that The FBI and the Justice Department have “lost all confidence in the American people.”
But she added, “If this accusation is true…President Trump has been incredibly reckless with our national security.”
” Moreover, I am the wife of a military man. My husband is going to hit the road this weekend. This puts all of our service members at risk.”
Other senior Republicans have tried to defend Trump's handling of documents.
Responding to a question about keeping some near the shower, Kevin McCarthy, Speaker House of Representatives from the Republican Party, said: “The door to the bathroom is locked.”
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