Donald Trump ready for his first public appearance since impeachment

Former President Donald Trump is set to make his first public appearances since his inauguration. federal indictmentspeaking to friendly Republican audiences in Georgia and North Carolina as he tries to rally supporters for his defense.

Trump, who remains the favorite for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination despite his mounting legal troubles, was expected to use speeches at two state party conventions on Saturday to criticize the charges.

The indictment unsealed Friday charges him with 37 counts of felonies in connection with hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.

Trump is accused of knowingly defying the Justice Department’s demands to return classified documents, recruiting helpers in his efforts to hide the records and even telling his lawyers that he wanted to defy a subpoena for materials stored at his residence. The indictment includes allegations that he stored documents in a ballroom and bathroom at his resort, among other locations.

The most serious charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 20 years each, but first-time offenders rarely come close to the maximum sentence and the decision is ultimately up to the judge.

Trump has already answered to the accusation with a series of posts on his Truth Social platform and a video statement, framing the accusation as election interference orchestrated by President Joe Biden and his campaign.

“They are after me because now we are leading in the polls again by a lot against Biden,” he said.

Trump can expect a hero’s welcome as he rallies his fiercest supporters and aims to cement his status as his party’s leading presidential candidate.

He arrived in Georgia on Saturday amid chants of “Four more years! Four More Years!” of supporters waving signs reading “Witch Hunt.” About 100 enthusiastic supporters turned out at the Columbus airfield.

Michael Sellers, a 67-year-old Trump supporter who arrived at the airfield, said he had read the indictment and was aware of the allegations.

“It’s criminal what they’re doing to him,” Sellers said. Asked if he thinks Trump will win another term in 2024, Sellers said: “He won last time. He will win again ”.

Trump ‘defiant’

Among the various investigations Trump has faced, the documents case has long been considered the most dangerous threat and the most ripe for prosecution.

The federal charging document alleges that Trump not only knowingly possessed classified documents, but also boastfully displayed them to visitors and aides. The indictment is based on Trump’s own words and actions as told to prosecutors by attorneys, close aides and other witnesses, including his claim to respect and know procedures related to handling classified information.

A Trump campaign official described the former president’s state of mind as “challenging” ahead of state visits. But aides were noticeably more reserved after the indictment was unsealed, weighing the seriousness of the legal charges and the threat they pose to Trump beyond potential short-term political gain.

A ‘dark day’

The impeachment comes at a time when Trump continues to dominate the primary race. Other candidates have largely attacked the Justice Department, rather than Trump, over the investigation. But the breadth of the allegations and the scope of the indictment could make it difficult for Republicans to criticize these charges compared to a previous criminal case in New York that many legal analysts derided as weak.

Trump is set to make his first federal court appearance Tuesday in Miami. He was charged along with Walt Nauta, a personal assistant who prosecutors say moved boxes from a storage room to Trump’s residence for inspection and then lied to investigators about the move. A photograph included in the indictment shows several dozen file boxes stacked in a storage area.

The case has added to the deepening legal risk for Trump. In March, he was indicted in New York for a clandestine money scheme stemming from payments made to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign, and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that could also lead to criminal charges.

So far, the response from many Republicans, including some of Trump’s party’s nomination rivals, has been to endorse the former president and amplify his sense of outrage.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has had a rollercoaster relationship with Trump, said the impeachment marked a “dark day” for the United States.

“I, and all Americans who believe in the rule of law, support President Trump,” McCarthy said.

And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen as Trump’s most viable challenger for the Republican nomination, echoed the claims of an “armed” Justice Department.