Mr. Trump: Will only assert innocence in court

Former President Trump said he would only assert his innocence and make no other statement when he appeared in court in Miami.

"I'll just say 'not guilty.' I did nothing wrong. The Presidential Records Act. It's not a criminal matter. There's no criminality here. It's ridiculous," former US President Donald Trump said on June 12.

Former President Trump commented as he will appear in federal court in Miami, Florida at 3 p.m. today (2 a.m. June 14, Hanoi time) to hear the indictment and impeachment in the prosecution related to the former president's handling of classified documents.

In August 2022, investigators seized about 13,000 documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, including both classified and top secret documents. The Presidential Records Act requires that presidential and vice presidential documents be turned over to the National Archives at the end of their terms, for safekeeping and protection.

Federal Judge Jonathan Goodman will preside over Mr Trump's impeachment trial. Judge Goodman rejected requests from the media to have direct access to images and audio of the trial. He assured the media that they would be provided with a copy of the proceedings on the same day.

Former President Donald Trump speaks in Grimes, Iowa on June 1. Photo: AFP

On June 9, the US Department of Justice released a 49-page indictment, including 37 charges related to the investigation into Mr. Trump's illegal retention of classified documents at his private residence. With this accusation, Mr. Trump became the first former US president to be prosecuted at the federal level.

If convicted under the Espionage Act, the former president faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has called the investigation politically motivated. Republicans see the probe as an attempt to thwart the former president's bid for the White House in 2024.

Mr. Trump arrived in Miami from New Jersey on June 12 and stayed at the Trump National Doral golf club. Miami officials have increased security in anticipation of unrest related to Mr. Trump's court appearance. Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said the city has plans in place for crowds of "5,000 to 50,000 people" and to close downtown streets if necessary.

Nhu Tam (According to ABC News, The Hill )

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