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- Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges during a historic arraignment in a Miami federal courthouse after being indicted over his handling of classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort.
- The former president described the indictment as “the most evil and heinous abuse of power” while speaking to supporters Tuesday night at his Bedminster resort in New Jersey.
- Trump, who is the first former US president to face federal charges, was arrested and booked alongside aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, who did not enter a plea deal. The judge ruled that Trump could not communicate with Nauta about the case.
- This indictment comes just months after Trump was charged by a Manhattan grand jury in a separate hush-money case.
Our live coverage of former President Donald Trump’s indictment and court appearance has moved here.
Former President Donald Trump, who was indicted by the Department of Justice over potential mishandling of classified documents, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Trump was arraigned Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Miami. He has been charged with 37 counts, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information. It’s the first time in American history that a former president has faced federal charges.
See photos from the historic day:
Former President Donald Trump began his remarks Tuesday night in Bedminster, New Jersey, by slamming the administration of President Joe Biden over his indictment for the alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Earlier Tuesday in Florida, Trump was arrested in a historic arraignment in a Miami federal courthouse where he pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges.
Trump is the first former president to face federal charges and was arrested and booked alongside his aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta.
This indictment comes just months after Trump was charged by a Manhattan grand jury in a separate hush-money case.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat’s office sent teams to the federal courthouse in Miami where former President Donald Trump was arraigned Tuesday, he told CNN.
Teams were also sent to Trump’s previous New York court appearance to prepare in case an indictment of the former president should happen in Fulton County.
Labat described the visits as “an opportunity to learn and make sure we are equally prepared.”
In a statement Tuesday, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said it is “coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure that our law enforcement community is equipped and prepared to protect the public.”
Some background: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis oversaw a special grand jury investigating what Trump or his allies may have done in their efforts to overturn Biden’s victory in Georgia.
Willis, a Democrat, is considering bringing conspiracy and racketeering charges.
The probe was launched in 2021 following Trump’s call that January with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he pushed the Republican to “find” votes to overturn the election results.
CNN’s Nick Valencia and Alta Spells contributed reporting
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 37 charges related to alleged mishandling of classified documents.
His lawyers asked for a jury trial during the former president’s historic arraignment. “We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the judge.
Trump’s aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, was also arrested, fingerprinted and processed.
No cameras were permitted in the courtroom. But sketch artists were able to capture the scene.
Donald Trump can still run as president while indicted — or if he is convicted.
“Nothing stops Trump from running while indicted, or even convicted,” the University of California, Los Angeles law professor Richard Hasen has told CNN.
The Constitution requires only three things of candidates: They must be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident of the US for at least 14 years.
There are a few other Constitutional restrictions that can block a person for running for president — but they don’t apply to Trump:
Term limits: The 22nd Amendment forbids anyone who has twice been president — meaning twice been elected or served half of someone else’s term and then won his or her own — from running again. That doesn’t apply to former President Donald Trump since he lost the 2020 election.
Impeachment: If a person is impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate of high crimes and misdemeanors, he or she is removed from office and disqualified from serving again. Trump, although twice impeached by the House during his presidency, was also twice acquitted by the Senate.
Disqualification: The 14th Amendment includes a “disqualification clause,” written specifically with an eye toward former Confederate soldiers.
It reads:
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.
The indictment in New York City with regard to the hush-money payments to an adult-film star has nothing to do with rebellion or insurrection. Federal charges related to classified documents likely do not either.
Potential charges in Fulton County, Georgia, with regard to 2020 election meddling or at the federal level with regard to the January 6, 2021, insurrection could perhaps be construed by some as a form of insurrection. But that is an open question that would have to work its way through the courts. The 2024 election is fast approaching.
Authorities arrested one protestor at the Miami courthouse where former President Donald Trump was arraigned Tuesday, according to a law enforcement source.
The person arrested jumped in front of Trump’s motorcade with a protest sign, the source said.
A spokesperson with the Miami Police Department confirmed that the man who ran in front of the motorcade was the only person arrested outside the federal courthouse Tuesday.
Federal judge Aileen Cannon entered the public spotlight last summer when she oversaw court proceedings related to the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Now, the Trump-appointed federal judge is expected to oversee the former president’s new federal criminal case in Miami. Cannon would have wide latitude to control timing and evidence in the case and be able to vet the Justice Department’s legal theory.
Trump nominated Cannon to the bench in May 2020, and the Senate confirmed her by a vote of 56-21 just days after the presidential election.
Cannon had largely stayed out of the national spotlight until she began handling the case the former president brought last year to challenge the Mar-a-Lago evidence collection. Her controversial decision to appoint a third-party “special master” to oversee the review of evidence gathered in the search was ultimately overturned by a conservative panel of judges on the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which was critical of Cannon’s handling of the case.
That special master process had put the Justice Department’s investigation into the documents it obtained during the search on hold so the outside attorney could review the materials for any privilege issues.
Prior to taking office, Cannon served as an assistant US attorney in Florida, where she worked in the Major Crimes Division and as an appellate attorney, according to written answers she gave to the Senate during her confirmation process.
Following graduation from the University of Michigan Law School, Cannon clerked for a federal judge and later practiced law at a firm in Washington, DC, where she handled a range of cases, including some related to “government investigations,” according to her statements given to the Senate in 2020.
Most of Tuesday’s hearing, where former President Donald Trump made his first appearance in court facing 37 federal charges, followed an expected script – but the proceedings were dragged out by a disagreement over whether Trump should be restricted from talking to certain witnesses in the case.
That prohibition was not initially recommended in the bond proposal made by special counsel Jack Smith’s team. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman raised the concern himself.
Goodman, noting that this was a typical restriction in cases filed in the Southern District of Florida, where the indictment against Trump was brought, suggested that prosecutors put together a list of witnesses and victims and that Trump avoid communicating with them as the case moves forward.
The judge also said that for Trump’s co-defendant, Walt Nauta, the limitation would only be on communications about the case, with Goodman noting that Nauta works closely with Trump and is with him nearly every day.
Nauta, who did not enter a plea Tuesday since he did not have a local attorney, will be arraigned later this month. He faces six counts related to the classified documents investigation.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, resisted the idea of barring all contact with the case’s witnesses, in a back-and-forth with the judge that played out over several rounds.
“Many of the people, including the men and women to protect him, may be witnesses in this case,” Blanche said. He said the restriction “isn’t appropriate” and “doesn’t work.”
Prosecutor David Harbach suggested that the Justice Department team would draft a list that would be “narrow in scope” – not “exhaustive” of all the witnesses prosecutors may call at trial – that would address the judge’s concerns about witness contact, while accommodating Trump’s situation.
While many Republicans have been swift to come to Donald Trump’s defense amid his federal indictment, a handful of GOP senators are warning the former president could imperil the party ahead of the 2024 election.
Here’s what some senators are saying:
Sen. Mitt Romney: “I think President Trump is the only serious Republican contender for president right now who could lose. I think virtually any other serious contender on the list — [Chris] Christie, [Tim] Scott, Nikki Haley, and so forth — I think they would win easily against Joe Biden. I think Trump might lose, and that would obviously affect the rest of the ticket.”
Sen. Mike Rounds: “This is not something the former president should take lightly,” Rounds said. “It’s not going to help.” Rounds argued that “no question,” it could hurt Republicans down ballot. He has endorsed Sen. Tim Scott for president.
Still, some of Trump’s staunchest allies continue to argue the legal perils of former president will only catapult him.
Sen. Josh Hawley said he believes the Trump indictment will only fuel GOP voters. “I think this will have a major galvanizing effect on Republican primary voters. … I think he will be the nominee. I think voters see this for what it is. It’s politically motivated, clearly,” Hawley said.
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 charges Tuesday in a brief but historic court appearance following his arrest and processing on federal charges.
Trump made clear, once again, Tuesday that he has no plans to stop attacking the special counsel’s indictment – and the other legal peril he faces – as he runs for president again in 2024.
Here are takeaways from the arraignment:
A historic moment. Regardless of what happens next with the case against Trump, the federal charges are a historic moment – one that is sure to have a significant impact on the outcome of the 2024 GOP primary.
Contact with witnesses in the case. While most of Tuesday’s hearing followed an expected script, the proceedings were dragged out by a disagreement over whether Trump should be restricted from talking to certain witnesses in the case. That prohibition was not initially recommended in the bond proposal that prosecutors had put forward. But Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman raised the concern himself about Trump’s contact with witnesses.
Protests. Tuesday’s court appearance came and went without any major security incidents, as supporters and protesters lined the streets surrounding the courthouse.
After the arraignment. Trump’s first stop after leaving the courthouse was Versailles, a well-known Cuban restaurant in Miami. The stop immediately put Trump back in his element, surrounded by supporters looking to shake hands and take photos. It underscored the fact that Trump’s legal turmoil is playing out amid a 2024 Republican primary where Trump’s legal troubles have been a central storyline, both for his campaign and his presidential rivals.
Nauta has to come back. Walt Nauta, Trump’s co-defendant, did not enter a plea because he did not have a local attorney. Nauta, who faces six charges, made his initial appearance Tuesday alongside the former president. Nauta is being represented by Washington, DC-based attorney Stanley Woodward. An arraignment for Nauta has been set for June 27.
What’s next? Tuesday’s hearing was handled by Magistrate Judge Goodman, but now the case will move into the courtroom of District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge whose prior rulings have raised questions about how she will handle the case.
President Joe Biden said he would not comment on his predecessor’s arrest on Tuesday.
Asked by CNN whether he would comment on Donald Trump’s arrest, Biden shouted back “no” as he walked out of an event in the East Room alongside his Secretary of State.
Biden heard but declined to answer another question by CNN about whether he was surprised to see Republicans standing by former President Trump despite his indictment and arrest.
Biden also appeared to briefly allude to Trump’s handling of documents during remarks to the Chiefs of Mission reception at the White House, before quickly cleaning up his comments to laughter in the room.
Repeating a story he’s told before about Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden noted he and the Chinese leader “had a lot of in-person, just one-on-one conversations,” during his travel to the region as vice president.
“And we each had an inter-simultaneous interpreter,” Biden told an audience of ambassador-rank officials. “I turned all my notes in.”
As the audience laughed, Biden added, “But that’s not a reference to the former President—but look, no, it really isn’t.”
Some background: In the days leading up to Donald Trump’s court appearance, White House officials elected not to weigh in on the second indictment of the former president.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby both took questions from reporters on Monday. They did not comment on the indictment and Kirby emphasized that Biden is focused on running the country.
Former President Donald Trump has left Miami, Florida, after being arraigned on 37 counts related to his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The former president will travel to Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
Trump is scheduled to attend a fundraiser there Tuesday night.
About 50 members of the public and media attended the historic arraignment of former President Donald Trump in Miami federal court on Tuesday.
During the hearing, three security guards sat behind special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the indictment against Trump in the classified documents case and whose office continues to investigate 2020 election interference. In all, there were roughly two dozen security personnel in the courtroom.
More than 10 people from the Justice Department were present at the hearing, including seasoned Miami prosecutor Karen Gilbert, who served as part of the team helping to prepare for the Mar-a-Lago search by FBI agents last August that recovered more than 100 classified documents.
Former President Donald Trump appeared in federal court in Miami Tuesday and plead not guilty to 37 federal charges involving the handling of classified documents.
Courtroom sketch artist Bill Hennessy captured what the scene inside the courtroom looked like. No cameras are allowed in federal court.
Attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise represented Trump in court for the arraignment.
Trump’s co-defendant and aide Walt Nauta was also in the room after being fingerprinted and processed, but he will not be arraigned until June 27.
Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to alleged mishandling of classified documents. Trump’s lawyers asked for a jury trial during the former president’s arraignment Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Miami.
Trump’s aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, was also arrested, fingerprinted and processed. He had an initial appearance Tuesday but will not be arraigned until June 27.
The criminal charges in the Justice Department’s classified documents case escalates the legal jeopardy surrounding the 2024 GOP front-runner. Special counsel Jack Smith attended Tuesday’s arraignment, which lasted about 45 minutes.
Here’s what else happened at the hearing:
- Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman ruled that Trump could not communicate with Nauta about the case. The judge also told prosecutors to make a list of potential witnesses that Trump can’t communicate with about the case – except through counsel.
- The judge did not, however, place any travel restrictions on either defendant.
- The Justice Department recommended that both Trump and Nauta be released with no financial or special conditions. Prosecutor David Harbach said that, “the government does not view either defendant as a flight risk.”
- Goodman began the hearing by thanking “the entire law enforcement community” for their work on Tuesday.
- Before the arraignment hearing, deputy marshals booked the former president and took electronic copies of his fingerprints. They did not take a mugshot of Trump since he is easily recognizable. The booking process took about 10 minutes.
What happens next: Tuesday’s hearing will kickstart what will likely be a winding, dramatic judicial process, with criminal and appeal proceedings that may play out for years.
Next, the case will enter pretrial proceedings, including likely disputes over what evidence is put before a jury and whether the case should be thrown out altogether before going to trial. The Trump team will have plenty of opportunity to drag things out – potentially until after the 2024 election.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon – a Trump nominee whose decision last year to order a third-party review of an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago was widely criticized and overturned by a conservative appeals court – has been assigned the case.
Former President Donald Trump and his team have arrived at the well-known Cuban restaurant, Versailles, in Miami following his arraignment.
The former president shook hands and spoke to those gathered inside the restaurant. Dozens of supporters surrounded him and appeared to pray with him.
“I think it’s going great. I think it’s a rigged deal here. We have a rigged country. We have a country that’s corrupt,” Trump said to the pool camera in response to a question about how his court appearance went.
Versailles Restaurant was mobbed with Trump supporters that the former president greeted — shaking hands and taking photos. Trump’s aide Walt Nauta, who has also been indicted in the classified documents case, was at the restaurant with him.
The visit looked like the kind of campaign stop Trump has been making in Iowa and New Hampshire at diners and pizza shops as he tries to connect with voters at smaller venues outside of his rallies.
Trump chose the restaurant because it is the “pinnacle location” of the Cuban community in Miami, a source familiar with the decision told CNN.
At one point the crowd cheered when Trump exclaimed, “Food for everyone!”
“It’s a community that knows all too well about political persecution,” the source said.
Trump and his team have worked to paint his multiple legal battles as a “political witch hunt” and “election interference” by Democrats.
Trump made the unscheduled stop before traveling to Miami International Airport. From Miami, Trump will travel to New Jersey for a rally and fundraiser tonight.
Former President Donald Trump did not address the court during the duration of his arraignment in Miami federal court on Tuesday.
Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche entered Trump’s plea on his client’s behalf. The former president also was not made to stand up and address the court himself.
During the hearing, Trump sat hunched over with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
Former President Donald Trump has left the federal courthouse after pleading not guilty to 37 charges.
Trump has previously announced that he will deliver remarks Tuesday night in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Former President Donald Trump’s co-defendant Walt Nauta was not arraigned – and did not enter a plea – in federal court in Miami today as he needs local counsel.
Nauta, who was in court with the former president, made his initial appearance today. Natua is being represented by Washington, DC, attorney Stanley Woodward.
An arraignment for Nauta has been set for June 27.
Some background: Nauta, who works as an aide to Trump, faces six counts, including several obstruction- and concealment-related charges.
Prosecutors allege Nauta lied to investigators when he was interviewed by the FBI in May 2022, according to the indictment. He allegedly falsely said he was not aware of boxes being brought to Trump’s residence for his review before Trump provided 15 boxes to the National Archives in 2022.
But, according to the indictment, Nauta himself had helped move boxes from the storage room to Trump’s residence.
The arraignment of former President Donald Trump has concluded. Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Trump’s lawyers asked for a jury trial during the former president’s arraignment Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Miami.
“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the judge.
Trump’s aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, was also arrested, fingerprinted and processed. He had an initial appearance Tuesday but will not be arraigned until June 27.
Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman said former President Donald Trump must not communicate with his co-defendant Walt Nauta about the case.
The judge also told prosecutors to make a list of potential witnesses that Trump can’t communicate with about the case – except through counsel. The government did not ask for these conditions; the judge used his discretion.
Goodman said he recognized it would be “impossible” for Trump and Nauta to end all communication because of their close working relationship.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche raised an issue with the condition barring contact with witnesses because some are members of Trump’s security.
Trump sat back with his arms crossed during the hearing, which is ongoing.
Some background: Nauta, who works as an aide to Trump, faces six counts, including several obstruction- and concealment-related charges.
Prosecutors allege that Nauta lied to investigators when he was interviewed by the FBI in May 2022, according to the indictment. He allegedly falsely said he was not aware of boxes being brought to Trump’s residence for his review before Trump provided 15 boxes to the National Archives in 2022.
But Nauta himself had helped move boxes from the storage room to Trump’s residence, according to the indictment.
The Justice Department recommended that former President Donald Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta be released with no financial or special conditions.
Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman began the hearing by thanking “the entire law enforcement community” for their work.
Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges in the indictment, which alleges he mishandled classified documents brought to his Mar-a-Lago resort and engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.
In addition to Trump attorney Todd Blanche, Chris Kise was in court representing the former president.
Trump’s lawyers asked for a jury trial during the arraignment.
“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” attorney Blanche told the judge.
Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman has taken the bench and former President Donald Trump’s arraignment has begun.
Trump faces 37 criminal charges related to his handling of classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort.
The Justice Department’s counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt is in attendance as former President Donald Trump gets arraigned at federal court in Miami. He has joined the special counsel Jack Smith in the courtroom.
Prosecutors David Harbach and Julie Edelstein are also present.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is in court with the former president.
Special counsel Jack Smith is attending the arraignment of former President Donald Trump in Miami, Florida.
Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November to investigate Trump’s handling of classified documents and efforts by Trump and his allies to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 election.
The special counsel announced the indictment in the classified documents case against the former president last week, noting that he would be seeking a speedy trial.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated his position that no one is above the law while addressing the federal indictment case against former President Donald Trump.
Schumer also said he was unaware of fellow Senator JD Vance’s hold on all of President Joe Biden’s nominees for the Justice Department in light of former President Donald Trump being indicted in the special counsel’s classified documents probe.
Former President Donald Trump has entered the courtroom before a Florida magistrate judge where he is expected to enter a plea to the 37 criminal charges he faces.
The booking process took about 10 minutes, during which his co-defendant, Walt Nauta, did have a mugshot taken.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to address the indictment of former President Donald Trump, and whether he would support Trump should he become the Republican nominee.
When pressed on his thoughts on the indictment, he again demurred.
What others are saying: Congressman Tim Burchett, a staunchly conservative Republican from Tennessee, is the latest Republican official to say he would not support Trump’s presidential candidacy if he were convicted of a crime.
Burchett said he’d have to read the indictment and wants to let the judicial process play out in Trump’s case before weighing his political viability, but said he’s concerned about the allegations laid out in the indictment.
Former President Donald Trump has been arrested at the federal courthouse in Miami and will be arraigned on charges related to mishandling classified documents.
Tuesday’s hearing will operate as both an “initial appearance” and as a so-called arraignment as well, with Trump having the opportunity to enter his plea in the case.
Lawyers for Trump and Trump’s aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, will enter appearances in court on their behalf, and Florida rules require that the defendants have at least one lawyer barred in the state representing them.
Attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise are expected to represent Trump in court, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. However, the role Kise will play going forward is unclear, and he was sidelined during last year’s litigation over the Mar-a-Lago search amid Trump team in-fighting.
Another Florida-licensed attorney, Lindsey Halligan – who also worked on Trump’s lawsuit last year over the search – remains on Trump’s team and may be present Tuesday.
Both defendants will be subjected to booking by the US Marshals Services as part of Tuesday’s events, though under Justice Department rules, their mug shots will not be immediately publicly available.
At the hearing, the magistrate judge will discuss the bond package that will allow the defendants to remain out of detention while they await trial. There might be requirements that they notify the court’s probation office before traveling to certain locations. Prosecutors also might ask that restrictions be placed on Trump and Nauta barring their communications with witnesses.
The Justice Department’s counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt, who has been a key player in the documents probe so far, is listed on the case’s document as representing the government. But it’s likely that lawyers from the Southern District of Florida’s US Attorney’s office – which is led by US Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, who was confirmed by the Senate in December – are present Tuesday as well. It’s unclear who from Smith’s team will be at the proceedings, or if Smith himself will show up.
In remarks outside the Miami courthouse where Donald Trump is being arraigned, one of his attorneys criticized the justice system and ridiculed what she called a “two-tiered system of justice.” She called the indictment against the former president an “unapologetic weaponization of the criminal justice system.”
“Today is not about Donald J. Trump, who is defiant,” Trump lawyer Alina Habba said in a news conference outside the court Tuesday. “It is not about the Republican Party. It is not about the 2024 election. It is about the destruction of the long-standing American principles that have set this country apart for so long.”
Habba compared Trump’s indictment to “the type of thing you see in dictatorships.”
“What is being done to President Trump should terrify all citizens of this country,” Habba said. “This is not our America.”
The lawyer representing Walt Nauta, an aide to former President Donald Trump, arrived earlier at the federal courthouse ahead of today’s hearing.
Stanley Woodward, who represents Nauta, entered the courthouse separately from Nauta, who traveled in Trump’s motorcade to the court.
Nauta also is scheduled to appear before the magistrate judge today.
Attorneys for Trump, Chris Kise and Todd Blanche, are expected to appear with the former president during today’s arraignment.
Former President Donald Trump was placed under arrest by deputy US Marshals and his booking process and that of his aide and co-defendant Walt Nauta have been completed, CNN reports from inside the courthouse.
The marshals are expected to take electronic copies of his fingerprints at some point during today’s proceedings. They are not expected to take a mugshot of Trump given his recognizability.
What else is expected during the proceedings: Trump will enter a plea and there will be a discussion of the conditions of his pretrial release. It’s also possible that potential restrictions are brought up about Trump’s conduct as the case moves forward.
Tuesday’s proceedings will be overseen by a magistrate judge, expected to be Jonathan Goodman, who is the magistrate on duty in Miami this week.
CNN’s Jeremy herb contributed reporting to this post.
CNN’s Abby Phillip has more:
CNN
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83bfb5b9-6669-42eb-82d5-19808072e7e2.mp4
01:04
– Source:
CNN
Donald Trump has arrived at the federal courthouse in Miami, Florida, for an unprecedented and historic court appearance as the first former president to face federal charges in US history.
Trump is expected to be taken into custody and placed under arrest by US Marshals and arraigned during a court hearing before a magistrate judge. He’s expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in a 37-count indictment last week, alleging that Trump mishandled classified documents brought to his Mar-a-Lago resort and engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Trump’s co-defendant, Walt Nauta, traveled with the former president to the courthouse in a separate vehicle. Nauta also is scheduled to appear before the magistrate judge today.
Former President Donald Trump has left his resort in Doral, Florida, and heading to a federal courthouse in Miami, where he will be arraigned in the case brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith.
What happens next: Once he arrives, Trump will be taken into custody and placed under arrest by US Marshals. He will then be arraigned during a court hearing before a magistrate judge. He’s expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
Trump faces 37 counts in relation to the handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort property after he left office.
Co-defendant and Trump aide, Walt Nauta, is expected to be traveling with him and is also scheduled to appear in court today.
Former President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that today is “ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY” shortly before his expected arraignment this afternoon.
“WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE!!!” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.
Trump is currently on his way to a federal courthouse in Miami, where he will be arraigned in the case brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith. He faces 37 criminal charges related to his handling of classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort after he left office.
The area around the federal court in Miami, Florida, where former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear has been put on a “soft lockdown,” CNN’s Ryan Young reports.
Young noted that law enforcement is managing traffic and the crowds of people that are forming.
Miami Police Chief Manny Morales told CNN that security operations have been “very smooth so far” and that no incidents have been reported amid protests outside the courthouse.
“We’re just kind of monitoring the traffic and we’re getting in the crowd and we’re looking for individuals that might be trying to agitate other parties and we’re just keeping them separate,” the chief said. “Our bicycle response team has done a phenomenal job kind of keeping the folks at bay.”
“Everybody has been behaving as we expected,” he added. “We just want everybody to kind of peacefully demonstrate their first amendment rights, and we’ll make sure everybody gets home safe.”
See what it looks like outside the courthouse:
CNN
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CNN’s Rebekah Riess contributed reporting to this post.
Donald Trump will appear in a federal courthouse in Miami Tuesday afternoon for an unprecedented and historic court appearance as the first former president to face federal charges in US history.
Trump is expected to be taken into custody and placed under arrest by US Marshals and arraigned during a 3 p.m. ET court hearing before a magistrate judge. He’s expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in a 37-count indictment last week, alleging that the former president mishandled classified documents brought to his Mar-a-Lago resort and engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Trump’s aide Walt Nauta was also charged in the indictment and is expected to appear in court alongside the former president.
Trump was indicted earlier this year by the Manhattan district attorney’s office on charges related to hush money payments to an adult film star, but Smith’s indictment marks the first federal charges against a former president.
The court proceedings are largely going to be routine, but the circumstances surrounding the indictment are anything but – and law enforcement is making preparations for large protests outside the courthouse in Miami. Trump is expected to speak Tuesday evening once he returns to his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort.
Here’s what to know about Tuesday’s court appearance.
What happens when Trump gets to the courthouse: Once inside the building, Trump will be placed under arrest and processed. Deputy US Marshals are expected to take Trump’s fingerprints electronically but are not expected to take a mugshot of the former president.
Then Trump and his attorneys will appear before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman for his arraignment and initial appearance. The magistrate judge will confirm with Trump that he understands his rights under the Sixth Amendment, including his right to a speedy trial.
Trump’s attorneys will likely waive a formal reading of the indictment, and the former president is expected to enter a plea of not guilty to all 37 charges.
Federal prosecutors are expected to ask the magistrate judge to limit Trump’s communications with any potential witness to guard against possible witness tampering. Trump will likely be released pending trial on personal recognizance.
Personal recognizance is a no-cost bond, which would not be a financial provision ensuring future appearances. Instead, the defendants are taken at their word they will return to court for future proceedings.
Future hearings will be held before Judge Alieen Cannon, who has been assigned to the criminal case going forward, and a preliminary hearing before Cannon could be scheduled during this initial appearance.
Unlike his arraignment in New York, it’s possible Trump won’t be seen entering or leaving the Miami courthouse Tuesday. Former Miami chief of police Jorge Colina told CNN Monday that the courthouse has an underground garage that Trump’s motorcade is likely to use.
As Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, prepares to face a judge for the second time in 10 weeks, the members of his party are continuing to weigh in on his indictment by the special counsel in the documents case.
Here’s what some Republican lawmakers are saying today about Trump:
Sen. Lindsey Graham acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations of mishandling of classified documents laid out in the federal indictment of Donald Trump.
Graham said he would continue to support Trump, but would not clarify if he’d keep supporting Trump should the former president be convicted.
“I intend to support the president,” Graham, adding he doesn’t think the case will go to trial before the election.
Sen. Thom Tillis would not say if he’s concerned about the allegations in the indictment.
“That’s what the prosecution has to prove,” he said.
Tillis also claimed that Trump could be a viable 2024 candidate: “If you take a look at him, everyone counted him out in 2016 so I don’t think you should underestimate Donald J. Trump.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise this morning was pressed on the substance of the indictment of the former President and immediately pivoted to talking points that “justice is not being carried out equally.”
Scalise went on to falsely claim the pictures of the boxes released over the weekend merely showed unclassified newspaper clippings.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, attacked the Biden administration ahead of the arraignment of Trump this afternoon.
“This is banana republic stuff. It’s a very dangerous road to go down in this country to have these sort of political prosecutions. As a former AG. I’m very sensitive to this.”
Trump endorsed Schmitt in his Senate run in 2022, although it was quite late in the process.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican of Iowa, said, “Whenever you have these accusations, it’s got to concern you,” and added, “we have to just let the thing play out and and just see what happens but I’m reading all I can on it and trying to keep up.”
Grassley did not answer CNN on whether he has read the full indictment.
Rep. Don Bacon harshly criticized Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents and issued a strong warning about the indictment’s impact the Republican presidential primary.
“I just think the emperor has no clothes, and we need to have Republicans stand up and say that, because come around after the primary and I guarantee the other party’s going to be saying this,” he said.
Bacon pushed back on Republicans who have questioned the legitimacy of the charges, saying that, if all the allegations in the indictment are true, “I don’t think you can deny it.”
Former President Donald Trump stayed up late into the night before his arraignment at a federal courthouse in Miami, rallying his allies to his defense as he railed against special counsel Jack Smith in private, sources tell CNN.
Trump has continued to attack the special counsel publicly as well, despite advice from his legal team who urged him not to do so. Those attacks come as he’s still attempting to add another attorney to his legal team and they could complicate those efforts, one person close to the former president said.
Trump is ultimately unhappy about being indicted but told his team he is pleased that the charges were filed in his home state of Florida rather than Washington, DC, believing this will benefit him.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she’s concerned with “every aspect” of the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump — which details his alleged mishandling of classified documents and attempts to avoid law enforcement’s efforts to retrieve them.
She added, “People have said that this was his own making. He had a way forward if he had erroneously some of these documents, he had a chance to return them, present them back, but he just doubled down.”
Remember: Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trial connected to the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The senator from Alaska pushed back strongly against members of her own party who have floated the possibility of subpoenaing the special counsel’s office for documents or testimony from Jack Smith, saying “We have to take this seriously.”
Murkowski said that taking out “whoever has delivered the message” should not be an option. “I’m sorry, we don’t do that.”
Former President Donald Trump attacked the Justice Department and special counsel Jack Smith on Truth Social Tuesday ahead of his arraignment in a Miami, Florida, federal courthouse.
Trump called Smith “the thug,” who is “a Radial Right Lunatic and Trump Hater, as are all his friends and family” and labeled the DOJ as Biden’s “CORRUPT Injustice Department,” before accusing them of having “probably ‘planted’ information in the ‘boxes’ given to them.”
Hours before he is set to be arraigned, Trump said Smith was “deranged” and repeated his claim of a “witch hunt.”
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday said he sent letters to the other 2024 presidential contenders, calling on them to commit to pardoning former president Donald Trump.
He claimed it’s going to be difficult for his fellow candidates to commit to this because the “donor class has been calling every Republican candidate and telling us to stay away from it, not to touch it from a 10-foot pole.”
He also sent letters to Democratic candidates Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Each of our paths to electoral success would be easier if President Trump were eliminated from competition, but that is the wrong result for our country,” the letter reads.
Ramaswamy has railed against the indictment as being “deeply politicized” and for not mentioning the Presidential Records Act.
“I would have made different judgments as president than Donald Trump made with those documents. But a bad judgment is not illegal behavior,” he said.
“I will believe the evidence when I see it aired in the actual court of law. I currently do not believe anything that is in this indictment because it has selectively omitted the most relevant laws to the actual case they’re bringing,” he added.
Fellow GOP candidate Asa Hutchinson had told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday that Ramaswamy’s vow to pardon Trump is “simply wrong.”
Former President Donald Trump, who faces a total of 37 counts in a federal indictment related to his handling of classified documents after he left office, is expected to appear in court today.
Here’s a step-by-step look at what to expect:
Former President Donald Trump will go through a similar booking process to what an average citizen would undergo when arrested on federal charges, a law enforcement source told CNN.
Trump will be asked to fill out forms, providing his name, social security number and address. His fingerprints will be taken digitally — not with ink. But no mugshot will be taken, the source said. The US Marshals do not take DNA as part of this process.
While in the courthouse, Trump will not be put in handcuffs or otherwise restrained, the source added.
It is possible that the booking process happens after his arraignment — depending on Trump’s arrival time.
Jack Smith, the special counsel announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland last year to oversee the criminal investigations into the retention of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and parts of the January 6, 2021, insurrection, is a long-time prosecutor who has overseen a variety of high-profile cases during a career that spans decades.
Smith’s experience ranges from prosecuting a sitting US senator to bringing cases against gang members who were ultimately convicted of murdering New York City police officers. In recent years, Smith has prosecuted war crimes at The Hague. His career in multiple parts of the Justice Department, as well as in international courts, has allowed him to keep a relatively low-profile in the oftentimes brassy legal industry.
In a statement following his announcement, Smith pledged to conduct the investigations “independently and in the best traditions of the Department of Justice.”
A career prosecutor: Smith began his career as an assistant district attorney with the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 1994. He worked in the Eastern District of New York in 1999 as an assistant US attorney, where he prosecuted cases including civil rights violations and police officers murdered by gangs, according to the Justice Department.
As a prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York, one of Smith’s biggest and most high-profile cases was prosecuting gang member Ronell Wilson for the murder of two New York City police department detectives during an undercover gun operation in Staten Island.
Wilson was convicted and sentenced to death, the first death penalty case in New York at the time in 50 years, though a judge later found he was ineligible for the death penalty.
Smith began his career as an assistant district attorney with the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 1994. He worked in the Eastern District of New York in 1999 as an assistant US attorney, where he prosecuted cases including civil rights violations and police officers murdered by gangs, according to the Justice Department.
As a prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York, one of Smith’s biggest and most high-profile cases was prosecuting gang member Ronell Wilson for the murder of two New York City police department detectives during an undercover gun operation in Staten Island.
Wilson was convicted and sentenced to death, the first death penalty case in New York at the time in 50 years, though a judge later found he was ineligible for the death penalty.
Moe Fodeman, who worked with Smith at EDNY, called him “one of the best trial lawyers I have ever seen.”
Read more about Smith’s career here.
Federal agents monitoring potential threats surrounding former President Donald Trump’s Tuesday court appearance are hoping the Justice Department’s aggressive action against January 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants helps serve as a deterrent to potential violence, a senior federal law enforcement source tells CNN.
The source noted that all peaceful demonstrators enjoy First Amendment protections to freely express themselves outside the Miami courthouse Tuesday, but the US government stands ready to aggressively prosecute anyone who poses a threat or attempts to unlawfully enter the building.
Additionally, CNN’s John Miller reported Tuesday morning that there is tension between the Secret Service and Miami police over whether the courthouse should be locked down and surrounded by metal barriers, a model the Secret Service prefers.
First lady Dr. Jill Biden weighed in on the indictment of Donald Trump Monday evening, telling Democratic donors she’s surprised many Republicans continue to support the former president despite the federal indictment.
“They don’t care about the indictment, so that’s a little shocking, I think,” she said, referring to Trump’s support in a recent poll, according to comments reported by the Associated Press and confirmed to CNN by someone in attendance.
The remarks, which she made in her first solo appearance of the reelection campaign, mark a deviation from President Joe Biden’s strategy of deliberately refraining from commenting on the indictment of his predecessor.
During the New York City fundraiser, the first lady argued voters have a choice between “strong, steady leadership” offered by her husband and “chaos and corruption, hatred and division” of “MAGA Republicans,” according to the Associated Press.
An aide to former President Donald Trump has been indicted in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the mishandling of classified documents from the Trump White House.
Walt Nauta’s indictment is the second in the special counsel’s investigation. Trump has been indicted on 37 counts, which include charges relating to the willful retention of national defense information, according to the indictment, which was unsealed on June 9.
Nauta faces six counts, including several obstruction-and concealment-related charges stemming from the alleged conduct.
Prosecutors allege that Nauta lied to investigators when he was interviewed by the FBI in May 2022, according to the indictment. He allegedly falsely said he was not aware of boxes being brought to Trump’s residence for his review before Trump provided 15 boxes to the National Archives in 2022.
But Nauta himself had helped move boxes from the storage room to Trump’s residence, according to the indictment.
“When asked whether he knew where Trump’s boxes had been stored, before they were in Trump’s residence and whether they had been in a secure or locked location, Nauta falsely responded, ‘I wish, I wish I could tell you. I don’t know. I don’t — I honestly just don’t know,’” the indictment states.
The indictment states that between November 2021 and January 2022, Nauta and another Trump employee brought boxes from the Mar-a-Lago storage room to Trump’s residence at the former president’s direction.
“Nauta did in fact know that the boxes in Pine Hall had come from the Storage Room, as Nauta himself, with the assistance of Trump Employee 2, had moved the boxes from the Storage Room to Pine Hall; and Nauta had observed the boxes in and moved them to various locations at The Mar-a-Lago Club,” according to the indictment.
An attorney for Nauta declined to comment on June 9.
Nauta was with Trump at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club last week.
Trump responded to Nauta’s indictment on his social media June 9, writing, “They are trying to destroy his life, like the lives of so many others, hoping that he will say bad things about ‘Trump.’ He is strong, brave, and a Great Patriot. The FBI and DOJ are CORRUPT!”
Nauta’s involvement in the movement of boxes of classified material at Trump’s Florida resort had been a subject of scrutiny of investigators. Nauta, with the help of a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago, moved the boxes before the FBI executed a search warrant on the Palm Beach property last August.
According to court filings last year, the FBI found more than 100 documents marked as classified during the search, which took place weeks after a Trump lawyer signed a statement attesting that the Trump team had complied with a May subpoena seeking production of all documents with classified markings.
The federal criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s potential mishandling of classified documents escalated in stunning fashion last week with Trump’s indictment.
Trump is expected to appear in federal court today in Miami to be arraigned. He faces a total of 37 counts, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, according to the indictment.
The investigation – led by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith – revolves around sensitive government papers that Trump held onto after his White House term ended in January 2021. Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta, have also been charged with obstructing the investigation and concealing material from the grand jury.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing and claims the investigation is a politically motivated sham, intended to derail his ongoing campaign to win the Republican 2024 nomination and return to the White House.
Here’s a timeline of key events that occurred this year in the blockbuster investigation:
Here’s a timeline of the important developments in the blockbuster investigation.
May 2021: An official from the National Archives and Records Administration contacts Trump’s team after realizing that several important documents weren’t handed over before Trump left the White House. The missing documents include some of Trump’s correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as the map of Hurricane Dorian that Trump infamously altered with a sharpie pen.
July 2021: In a taped conversation, Trump acknowledges that he still has a classified Pentagon document about a possible attack against Iran, according to CNN reporting. This indicates that Trump understood that he retained classified material after leaving the White House. The special counsel later obtained this audiotape, a key piece of evidence in his inquiry.
Fall 2021: NARA grows frustrated with the slow pace of document turnover after several months of conversations with the Trump team.
January 18, 2022: After months of discussions with Trump’s team, NARA retrieves 15 boxes of Trump White House records from Mar-a-Lago.
February 9, 2022: NARA asks the Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records and whether he violated the Presidential Records Act and other laws related to classified information. The Presidential Records Act requires all records created by a sitting president to be turned over to the National Archives at the end of their administration.
April 7, 2022: NARA publicly acknowledges for the first time that the Justice Department is involved, and news outlets report that prosecutors have launched a criminal probe into Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.
May 11, 2022: The Justice Department subpoenas Trump, demanding all documents with classification markings that are still at Mar-a-Lago.
June 3, 2022: Federal investigators, including a top Justice Department counterintelligence official, visit Mar-a-Lago to deal with the subpoena for remaining classified documents. Trump lawyer Christina Bobb signs a sworn affidavit inaccurately asserting that there aren’t any more classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
August 8, 2022: The FBI executes a court-approved search warrant at Mar-a-Lago – a major escalation of the investigation. Federal agents found more than 100 additional classified documents at the property. The search was the first time in American history that a former president’s home was searched as part of a criminal investigation.
August 12, 2022: Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart approves the unsealing of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant and its property receipt, at the Justice Department’s request and after Trump’s lawyers agree to the release. The warrant reveals the Justice Department is looking into possible violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records, as part of its investigation.
August 22, 2022: Trump files a federal lawsuit seeking the appointment of a third-party attorney known as a “special master” to independently review the materials that the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago. This was granted on September 5, 2022, and senior Judge Raymond Dearie was appointed on September 15, 2022, to be the special master.
November 18, 2022: Special counsel Jack Smith is appointed to take over the investigation.
Spring 2023: A string of Trump employees and aides testify before the special counsel’s grand jury in Washington, DC.
March 25, 2023: Evan Corcoran, the lead Trump attorney, testifies before the grand jury in Washington, DC. He later recused himself from handling the Mar-a-Lago matter.
June 2023: The first public indications emerge that the special counsel is using a second grand jury in Miami to gather evidence. Multiple witnesses testify in front of the Miami-based panel, CNN reported.
June 7, 2023: News outlets report that the Justice Department recently sent a “target letter” to Trump, formally notifying him that he’s a target of the investigation into potential mishandling of classified documents.
June 8, 2023: A federal grand jury in Miami indicts Trump in connection with the classified documents investigation, accusing him of 37 federal crimes, including illegally retaining national security documents and conspiring to obstruct justice. Trump says in a social media post that he is “totally innocent” and calls the case a “hoax.” The grand jury also indicts Nauta, the Trump aide, on obstruction-related charges.
See the full timeline here.
CNN’s Jeremy Herb and Casey Gannon contributed to this report.
Doral, Florida, Police Chief Edwin Lopez told CNN he is “absolutely” confident law enforcement can handle security concerns in South Florida as former President Donald Trump is set to appear in a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday.
“We’ve been on the scene here at the Trump [resort] in Doral for quite some time and we’ve been monitoring the situation and to this point, the crowds have been calm,” Lopez said, noting that there were “no more than 80 to 100 people at any single time.”
“Overnight was very quiet,” he added.
Lopez also said he has “full confidence” Miami police to handle security concerns.
Former President Trump ate dinner with his co-defendant Walt Nauta and their attorneys on Monday evening ahead of their court appearance Tuesday.
A number of senior political advisers were also at the table at his Doral resort.
Attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise are expected to represent former President Donald Trump in court this afternoon for his arraignment, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
Although Trump spent most of yesterday attempting to add another attorney to his team, nothing was finalized. Last week, Trump’s allies had expected a new attorney like Benedict Kuehne would be with them. For now, it’s Blanche, Kise and potentially Boris Epshteyn who will be in attendance.
The Miami magistrate judge set to preside over former President Donald Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday acknowledged in a new court order the proceedings are “genuinely historic and of huge importance.”
The judge, Jonathan Goodman, stressed he is only expecting to preside over the initial court appearance for Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta, before the case is handed over to federal district Judge Aileen Cannon.
At the hearing, both defendants are set to be read the charges they face, enter their initial pleas of not guilty, and have bond terms set as they await trial.
In his written order Monday, Goodman rejected the request of a large group of national media outlets to take photographs inside the courthouse building, before the proceedings begin.
He also wrote: “I follow the ‘stay in your lane’ philosophy. My involvement in this case will almost certainly end tomorrow. I am handling tomorrow’s first appearance and arraignment only because of my status as duty magistrate judge in the Miami Division of this Court. I am not the magistrate judge paired with United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon and it is highly unlikely that I will be asked to remain involved.”
Alabama commercial real-estate developer and political donor Stan Pate on Monday called the federal indictment against former President Donald Trump an “attack” by establishment forces intended to bring down his campaign and said he intends to “triple down” on his support for Trump in light of the ex-President’s legal troubles.
“He’s got the attack on him and people who would like to take away his freedom,” Pate added. “That’s when you need your friends.”
Pate, who donated $500,000 to a Trump-aligned super PAC last November through one of his Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based companies, said he plans to attend a fundraiser for the former president on Tuesday evening in New Jersey – just hours after Trump is slated to be arraigned in Miami on federal criminal charges related to his handling and retention of classified documents.
The event – planned for Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey — has been billed as the first major fundraising event of his presidential campaign. CNN has previously reported that Trump is expected to make remarks from Bedminster before the fundraiser.
On Monday, Pate said he also plans to fundraise on Trump’s behalf.
He said Tuesday’s fundraiser gathering is likely to be a “small event,” which he attributed the limited pool of big-dollar donors generally. But he said he expected small-dollar donations to Trump’s campaign — and his poll numbers — to surge with the indictment.
“In the places I travel, people love the man,” he said. “Somebody gives you a dollar, they are going to vote for you.”
As he wages a third bid for the presidency, Trump has seen high-profile defections from several major donors, even before last week’s federal indictment and a March indictment in New York state in connection with an alleged hush-money scheme.
Former President Donald Trump has survived impeachment two times, been sued repeatedly, found liable for sexual abuse, his company has been found guilty of tax evasion, and he faces a criminal trial in New York.
Now it is US v. Donald Trump.
The former president faces his first federal indictment for retention of classified documents and conspiracy with a top aide to hide them from the government and his own attorneys — a total of 37 counts.
The case pits the federal government against the man who could very well win the next election to become president once again.
The detailed indictment was signed by special counsel Jack Smith and unsealed in Florida, where Trump will eventually face trial. It marks the beginning of a legal process that will coincide with the Republican primary and the presidential campaign.
An annotated version of the indictment, along with shocking photos of boxes of classified material openly stored in a ballroom and in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago, is here.
Read the indictment document:
The federal indictment against Donald Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta, was unsealed Friday, providing more details about the special counsel’s investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents.
Trump faces a total of 37 counts, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, according to the indictment.
The former president, who has denied any wrongdoing, is expected to appear in a Miami courthouse this afternoon:
Here’s what else we learned:
- Sensitive information: The classified documents that Trump supposedly stored in boxes at Mar-a-Lago included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities, US nuclear programs and potential vulnerabilities of the US and its allies to a military attack, the indictment said. Some were classified at the highest levels and some were so sensitive they required special handling, according to the indictment.
- Sharing classified documents: Trump is accused of showing classified documents on two occasions to others, according to the indictment. One of those occasions was a 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump “showed and described a ‘plan of attack’ that Trump said was prepared by the Defense Department.” He also showed a classified map related to a military operation at Bedminster in August or September 2021.
- Where documents were stored: Trump allegedly kept classified documents in various places at Mar-a-Lago, including “in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.” Other classified documents were found spilled out of the boxes onto the floor of the storage room.
- Hw documents were moved: Boxes were initially stored in a ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, prosecutors alleged, before Nauta moved some of them to a business center at the estate in March 2021. The indictment alleges some movement of the documents was directed by Trump. According to the indictment, two people who worked for Trump discussed over text message whether they were able to move boxes holding classified documents.
- Alleged attempts to conceal documents: Trump told his attorney to tell the Justice Department that he didn’t have the documents sought by the subpoena, prosecutors say in the indictment. In addition, it alleges Trump directed Nauta to move documents to hide them from Trump’s own attorneys and FBI agents and even suggested to his lawyer to “hide or destroy documents” sought by the subpoena. It also said Nauta lied to investigators about moving boxes.
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