Defiant Trump says he will run for president even if convicted in a criminal case

The Justice Department has filed new charges against Donald Trump, accusing him of obstructing and endangering national security. Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP

Donald Trump vowed to continue his White House bid even if found guilty on criminal charges and sentenced after prosecutors expanded their case accusing him of mishandling secrets USA.

A defiant Mr. Trump said the multiple allegations he faced were a politicized attempt to deny him a second term as the leader of the 2024 Republicans. Trump replied: “Not at all. The Constitution does not say anything about this being possible.”

He added: “These people are sick. What they do is just awful.”

It comes after the Justice Department filed new charges against the 77-year-old Trump, accusing the former president of endangering national security and obstructing the case of classified documents.

The three new charges allege that Trump and his aides are wanted to remove CCTV footage from a storage facility on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida where classified documents were stored after the US government demanded recordings.

The updated indictment says Trump tried to «change, destroy , distort or hide evidence.”

A third defendant, Carlos de Oliveira, was added to the indictment and charged with joining Trump and his valet Walt Nauta to secure the destruction of the footage.

The indictment details a number of clandestine interactions between Mr. — Mr. Nauta and Mr. de Oliveira, property manager in Mar-a-Lago, after investigators demanded a video recording.

After the subpoena, Mr. Nauta used emoticons to tell a colleague about his plans trip to Mar-a-Lago, prosecutors say.

Upon arriving in Florida, Mr. de Oliveira spoke on the phone with Mr. Nauta and «walked through the bushes» to meet him at Mr. Trump's property.

p>

Mr. de Oliveira is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements and destroying documents.

Mr. Nauta pleaded not guilty. Lawyers for Mr De Oliveira, due to appear in court on Monday, declined to comment on the allegations.

The classified documents were stored at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Photo: Steve Helber/AP

Trump was also charged with illegally possessing secret military plans to attack Iran after he left office, and he is accused of showing the plans to reporters at his golf club in New Jersey.

These charges expand on the indictment brought by the latter. month by Jack Smith, a special adviser to the Department of Justice, accusing Trump of illegally possessing top secret files relating to America's and foreign allies' nuclear weapons.

Only two counts carry a possible prison sentence of less than 10 years.

Mr. Trump's trial is scheduled for May 20, in the midst of the 2024 election, meaning the former president will have to combine a grueling campaign and a criminal case.

They come as he prepares for separate federal indictments by Mr. Smith over attempts to make up for his 2020 election loss.

In his radio interview Friday, Trump denied mishandling the camera footage, saying : “These were surveillance footage. We gave them to them… I don't even know what they're talking about.»

He also lashed out at Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who is running second in the race for the Republican Party nomination.

Mr. Trump said, «I think he should go for the good of the people.» party. He could have waited and he would have been the favorite on the 28th, but he didn't.

“He turned out to be a terrible campaigner. He has no personality… and it looks like someone else will replace him.»

Trump and DeSantis share stage for the first time in the campaign

The pugnacious interview took place as he and Mr. DeSantis first prepared to share the stage in during the 2024 Republican campaign.

Nearly the entire GOP presidential field will be speaking at the annual Iowa GOP dinner on Friday night. .

Dinner in Des Moines, considered a landmark event at the beginning of the presidential cycle, takes place at a time when Mr. DeSantis is facing his own problems.

He has seen Mr. Trump's lead widened from 13 points in February to 34 points as the 44-year-old struggled to charm voters and sparked a string of controversy, mostly self-inflicted.

The governor's campaign was forced. week to fire an employee who promoted videos of Nazi images, and Mr. DeSantis sparked outrage by suggesting that he choose vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head his public health policy.

With Republican voters in Iowa and New York. Hampshire is due to cast its ballot in six months, with most candidates camped in the states attending campaign events daily.

Other speakers at the Lincoln dinner include former Trump Vice President Mike Pence, who comes in a modest fourth place in the pre-elections. election after businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

Nikki Haley, former UN ambassador, and Tim Scott, senator from South Carolina, will also take the stage.