Donald Trump appeared in court in Miami, pleaded not guilty to the 37 charges against him, and then greeted his supporters at a Cuban restaurant. After taking pictures and praying with them, he headed to New Jersey, specifically to the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, where he made a public pronouncement after a hectic judicial day.
The former president came out in front of his audience to Lee Greenwood’s signature song, “God Bless the USA,” and approached the podium to unpack the day’s events. “Today we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country- very sad thing to watch, a corrupt sitting president had his top political opponent arrested on fake and fabricated charges,” he began.
Without mincing words, he claimed to be the victim of political persecution aimed at preventing him from returning to the White House in January 2025. He also told his legal version of the facts, assuring that “The Espionage Act has been used to go after traitors and spies; it has nothing to do with a former president legally keeping his own documents.”
“As president, the law that applies to this case is not the Espionage Act, but, very simply, the Presidential Records Act, which is not even mentioned in this ridiculous 44-page indictment,” he continued and then went on to cite the case of Bill Clinton, who had been accused of something very similar, but justice ruled in his favor.
The crowd at Trump's Bedminster Club in New Jersey sings him Happy Birthday!
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“Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s decision states, under the statutory scheme established by the Presidential Records Act: the decision to segregate personal material from presidential records is made by the president, during the president’s term and in the president’s sole discretion. You are surprised to hear that, aren’t you?” Trump said to the crowd's encouragement, who interrupted him occasionally to chant for America.
“In other words, whatever documents a president decides to take with him, he has the right to do so. It’s an absolute right. This is the law. [...] This is why no other president, even those who kept far more documents than I, has ever been even investigated,” he sentenced.
The event also had a casual moment when those present sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, June 14.
What is Trump being accused of?
According to the DOJ, Trump kept high-level material after leaving the White House, improperly shared it with those without authorization, and tried to block any attempt to retrieve the documents. Following the formal accusation, the former president renewed his legal team.
Specifically, the most complicated legal charge for the tycoon is that of “obstruction of justice,” which differentiates his case from that of Joe Biden, who voluntarily handed over the classified documents he had in his garage next to his car.
Senator Ted Cruz states, “The double standard is a massive problem for the Justice Department, and right now, Merrick Garland and Jack Smith have done nothing to address this. That said, the obstruction lawsuits are where the greatest legal danger lies,” he added.
