Donald Trump Indictment Unsealed
Facts
- Special Counsel Jack Smith on Friday unsealed the indictment against Donald Trump, which reveals the former president is charged with 37 federal counts — including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements.1
- Trump becomes the first president to ever be indicted on federal criminal charges, and the indictment's unsealing comes one day after Trump was charged in Miami's US District Court.2
- 31 of the charges involve the willful retention of national defense information as part of the investigation that also indicted Trump aide Walt Nauta for allegedly lying to the FBI during its probe. Smith says he is seeking a "speedy trial."3
- Last year, Trump had become the first former president in US history to face criminal charges, related to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. He's seeking to become president once again in 2024. On Truth Social, Trump once again reaffirmed his innocence, stating the news was a "DARK DAY" [sic] for the US.4
- For more than a year, prosecutors have explored whether Trump knowingly retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. In Washington, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) stated that Republicans would hold the Biden admin.'s "brazen weaponization of power" accountable.5
- Pres. Biden and former VP Mike Pence have also recently been the subject of investigation over the retention of classified documents. While Pence was told earlier this month that he will not be criminally charged, the Department of Justice has not yet confirmed whether it will indict Biden.6
Sources: 1FOX News, 2CNBC, 3CNN, 4New York Post, 5Guardian, and 6USA Today.
Narratives
- Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Daily Beast. We may finally be witnessing Donald Trump being held accountable for his actions. While Trump's continual excuses sound like raving hysterics, the former president will soon realize that the rule of law also applies to him. It's extremely clear that Trump took classified documents and refused to return them — and opportunities for escape are becoming evermore scarce.
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by The Last Refuge. The case against Trump seems bad on paper because that is exactly how it was designed to look. Biden's weaponized DOJ continues to hunt the former president while refusing to show anyone, including the courts, the nature of the documents found, or indict Biden or Pence for similar breaches. While Republican 2024 candidates will undoubtedly watch in silence, such a legal construct cannot succeed. The Deep State is worried about Donald Trump's surge toward another successful presidential campaign.