The appearance was announced to take place on the afternoon of June 13 (early morning of June 14, Vietnam time). "There has never been anything like it. A witch hunt like this has never happened," Mr. Trump told a local radio station after arriving in Miami, according to AFP.
Trump supporters took to the streets on the night of June 12. Miami police were also ready for protests that could reach 50,000 people and were preparing for the possibility of violence. Security was also increased around the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse, where Trump was scheduled to appear. "We encourage people to express their feelings peacefully ," Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, said.
Mr. Trump speaks in North Carolina on June 10.
According to an indictment unsealed by the US Justice Department on June 9, Mr. Trump took hundreds of classified US government documents to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after he left the White House in January 2021. Mr. Trump faces 37 separate charges, including 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information" related to specific documents and attempting to obstruct justice, according to the indictment. He is accused of sharing sensitive US secrets with people who were not supposed to see them. This is a much more serious case than any Mr. Trump has faced before, with charges that could result in a prison sentence of decades, according to AFP. Mr. Trump has called the indictment "ridiculous" and declared his innocence.
Any federal trial in Florida over the classified documents may not take place until after the US presidential election in November 2024, according to Reuters. Previously, Mr. Trump had to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 4 to hear an indictment related to the accusation of concealing a $ 130,000 "hush money" payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. He has denied 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in that indictment.
Trump is the first former US president to face federal criminal charges, but legal experts say that would not preclude him from running for president or taking office even if he is convicted, according to Reuters. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from June 10 to 12 showed that Trump still leads the race to become the Republican presidential nominee to challenge President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. About 43% of respondents who identify as Republicans said Trump was their candidate, compared with 22% who chose Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
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