Trump news – latest: Trump ‘plotted to hide documents from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’

Former president Donald Trump showed highly-classified information to unauthorised persons on two separate occasions, according to a copy of the indictment against him that has been obtained by The Independent.

The 49-page, 37-count indictment was unsealed on Friday after Mr Trump released a series of social media posts revealing that he has been indicted by a grand jury under supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith.

The indictment details the charges against Mr Trump and Walt Nauta, a former US Navy noncommissioned officer who left government service to work for Mr Trump after his term ended in January 2021.

According to the indictment, the 37 charges against Mr Trump and Mr Nauta include willful retention of national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations.

The former president has lashed out on Truth Social at Mr Smith calling him a “deranged lunatic”. The special counsel for his part gave a brief and dignified explanation of the sweeping indictment and the law applies to everyone.

Key Points

• Trump indictment unsealed

• Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map with PAC member

• The federal charges against Donald Trump

• Donald Trump facing 100-year jail sentence after second indictment

• Jack Smith defends Trump indictment: ‘We have one set of laws and they apply to everyone’

21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

And after almost exactly 90 minutes, Trump concludes his remarks on a hopeful note.

That everybody is being murdered in the streets of our great cities. Phew.

21:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump circles back to Russia/Ukraine and China, election interference and law enforcement, Fake News and how he’s suing the Pulitzer Prize.

21:08 , Oliver O'Connell

“China Virus”, social security, medicare, LIV Golf, Ron DeSanctimonious, CRT, transgender issues, parental rights, vaccine mandates... Trump is deep into his greatest hits here.

He has been speaking for almost 90 minutes.

20:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Again Trump is skipping through stump speech topics on immigration, completely overhauling the DoJ, tariffs, and crime.

20:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Next Trump reiterates his claim he can end the war in Ukraine and that he is the only candidate who can prevent World War Three.

20:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump is now in full stump speech mode, jumping around topics ranging from electric cars to dishwashers to Mexico to NAFTA to China to the Supreme Court and rebuilding the military.

20:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Talking about his Republican primary rivals he says of former vice president Mike Pence: “He's a nice person, he's trying to get nasty though, so we might have to fight a different way.”

20:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump keeps comparing the US to Communist China based on the fact that he lost an election.

20:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump’s rambling speaking style has this speech going around in circles, reiterating the same points again and again.

You’ve gotta feel for whoever is operating the Teleprompter.

20:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Again, because this speech is in Georgia, Trump invites Marjorie Taylor Greene up to speak.

20:27 , Oliver O'Connell

As this speech is in Georgia, Trump also mocks the “Lunatic, Marxist” district attorney in Atlanta, for investigating what he calls a “perfect phone call” after the 2020 election.

Claiming that recent elections in Georgia were rigged, Trump gets a big round of applause.

20:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump attacks special counsel Jack Smith again calling him “deranged” and his wife “a Trump-hater.” He then wishes her “a lot of luck”.

He also says of Smith: “I watched him yesterday go up and talk... He was shaking. He was so scared. He didn’t want to be there because ultimately these are cowards.”

Trump also claims there was no obstruction concerning the classified documents.

20:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump continues to talk about Biden’s 1,850 boxes.

Here’s the fact-check of that by CNN’s Daniel Dale.

20:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump’s defence amounts to “whataboutism” about Joe Biden and the Clintons and the fact that there were photos of his document boxes outside the White House when he left office, which he claims means the contents of them and his refusal to turn over classified materials aren’t a big deal?

Watch: Trump says Biden trying to jail opponents like they do in Stalinist Russia

20:16 , Oliver O'Connell

20:12 , Oliver O'Connell

20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

As far as the joke of an indictment. a horrible thing. it's a horrible thing for this country. I mean, the only good thing about it is it's driven my poll numbers way up. Can you believe now it's driven up way up and somebody said the fundraising is through the roof that's less important.

But I will tell you, it's really driven us right through this guy. We're really winning big. We're winning by everyone beating the hell out of the Republicans and we're beating the hell out of Joe Biden.

That's why they're doing it if I wasn't, let me tell you if I wasn't there'd be no witch hunt. They'd been no indictment. If I was losing, winning by a lot against the Democrats, if I were losing, you know, they're the party of disinformation. They say, Oh, we want to run against Trump. We want to run so badly against Trump.

We won the first time and that we did better the second time

20:07 , Oliver O'Connell

The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the administration’s weaponized department of injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country. Many people have said that. Democrats have even said this vicious persecution is a travesty of justice.

20:06 , Oliver O'Connell

They’ve launched one hoax and witch hunt after another to try and stop our movement ... witch hunt, witch hunt, scam hoax.

It’s called election interference and they’re doing the best they can with it. Because who the hell would vote for them with the policies that they have of open borders and no voter ID.

As the Durham report which just came out proved they spied on my campaign, think of it. Can you imagine if it was the other way around? They spied on my campaign and we caught them. They forged false evidence to get illegal surveillance warrants. The FBI offered $1 million for a fictitious dossier written by a foreign spy to try to frame me for treason ... These people don’t stop and they’re bad that we have to get rid of them. We have to get rid of them. They put our country through hell and they knew it was all a lie. The entire time. They know it was a lie.

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

While listing his various enemies he jokes that every time he flies over a blue state he gets a subpoena.

Trump takes to the stage

19:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has taken to the stage in Columbus, Georgia to give his first public remarks since his indictment was unsealed on Friday.

He has started calmly thanking his allies and supporters in attendance but he’s expected to get fiery later on.

19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump running 20 minutes late in Georgia.

Trump calls Democrats ‘Communist’ who want to jail opponents

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In pre-released remarks ahead of his speech in Georgia, Donald Trump calls Democrats “communists,” accuses them of “wanting to jail opponents” and says that it was “no coincidence” he was indicted the same day new bribery allegations surfaced against Joe Biden.

Rep Ted Lieu calls out Pence response to indictment

19:29 , Oliver O'Connell

California Democrat Rep Ted Lieu called out Mike Pence’s reaction to the indictment against former president Donald Trump on Twitter by posting an excerpt of his remarks in North Carolina and commenting: “Tell me you didn’t read the indictment without telling me you didn’t read the indictment.”

Watch: Trump arrives at Georgia state GOP convention

19:16 , Oliver O'Connell

How does having a Florida grand jury and judge factor in Trump’s indictment?

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

It was anticipated that a federal investigation into Donald Trump’s retention of top-secret documents months after he left the White House would result in charges in Washington DC.

But the damning 37-count indictment, with more than two dozen counts of illegally withholding classified documents under the Espionage Act, was filed on 8 June in US District Court in Florida, his primary residence and the location of his notorious Mar-a-Lago resort property, where mounds of boxes with sensitive government documents were discovered by federal law enforcement.

Read more...

What a Florida grand jury and judge means for Trump’s indictment

Premium: Trump is in trouble – even his most ardent fans could turn against him

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg writes:

How badly has Donald Trump stepped in it? If you ask national security law experts, the answer is badly. Extremely badly.

The twice-impeached, now twice-indicted former president on Thursday shocked the world by revealing that he faces charges for what he disparagingly calls the “boxes hoax” – his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information and his alleged obstruction of a year-long Department of Justice probe into how he ended up with highly classified secrets at his Florida beach club turned home and office.

In a string of outraged missives posted to his bespoke social media platform, Truth Social, Mr Trump laid out what will be his main political arguments against a criminal case that could, if things go badly, send him to prison for what would amount to a life sentence.

Read more...

Trump is in serious jeopardy – even his most ardent fans could turn against him

Watch: Pence speaks about indictment in North Carolina

18:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump mocked after indictment reveals he praised staffer who deleted Hillary Clinton emails: ‘Such a two-bit criminal’

18:15 , Bevan Hurley

Donald Trump has been mocked for praising an attorney who deleted 30,000 of Hillary Clinton’s emails, according to the unsealed indictment from special counsel Jack Smith.

As a candidate and president, Mr Trump repeatedly called for his 2016 presidential opponent to be locked up after she was found to have been “extremely careless” in using a private server for official communications as secretary of state.

Privately, he joked about how her lawyers had “done a great job” deleting the emails and in his telling, protecting her from scrutiny, according to the indictment.

The unsealed indictment details a conversation Mr Trump held with two lawyers, listed as Trump Attorney 1 and Trump Attorney 2, on 23 May 2022.

The lawyers informed Mr Trump he would have to comply with a Department of Justice subpoena to turn over any classified materials to the National Archive.

Read more:

Trump mocked after indictment reveals he praised staffer who deleted Clinton emails

Pence calls indictment ‘sad day for America'

18:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaking in North Carolina, where Donald Trump will speak later today, former vice president Mike Pence calls the indictment of the former president “a sad day for America”.

He mentioned the Twitter files and the Hunter Biden laptop, before adding: “I am deeply troubled to see this indictment.”

Mr Pence adds: “It’s important to remember in America, you are innocent until proven guilty.”

There is some applause from the crowd.

Mr Pence says: "I encourage you to pray. Pray for the former president and his family."

"I promise you, I will uphold the rule of law, we will clean house at the highest level of the Department of Justice."

The former vice president says he is incredibly proud of what the Trump-Pence administration achieved in its four years in office.

Trump set for first public appearances since federal indictment, speaking in Georgia, North Carolina

17:45 , Bill Barrow, AP

Former President Donald Trump will make his first public appearances since his federal indictment, speaking on Saturday to friendly Republican audiences in Georgia and North Carolina as he seeks to rally supporters to his defense.

Trump, who remains the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination despite his mounting legal woes, is expected to use his scheduled speeches at state party conventions in the two states to deliver a full-throated rebuke of the charges and amplify his assertions that he is the victim of a politically motivated “witch hunt” by Democratic President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.

His appearances will come a day after the unsealing of an indictment charging him with 37 felony counts in connection with his hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The indictment accuses the former president of willfully defying Justice Department demands to return classified documents, enlisting aides in his efforts to hide the records and even telling his lawyers that he wanted to defy a subpoena for the materials stored at his estate. The indictment includes allegations that he stored documents in a ballroom and bathroom at his resort, among other places.

Read more:

Trump set for first public appearances since federal indictment, speaking in Georgia, North Carolina

DoJ will ‘go for incarceration’ if Trump is convicted, lawyer says

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Department of Justice is likely to attempt to have former President Donald Trump incarcerated if he’s convicted following the indictment laying out 37 charges against him in relation to his handling of classified national defence information.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

DoJ to ‘go for incarceration’ if Trump is convicted, national security lawyer says

Mitt Romney’s blistering response to Trump’s damning indictment

17:15 , Eric Garcia

Republican US Senator Mitt Romney said that former president Donald Trump had brought an indictment upon himself for his taking classified documents and refusing to return them.

Mr Romney released a statement on Friday after news that a grand jury indicted Mr Trump for his alleged unlawful of retention of national defence information at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Mr Trump said he must report to a court in Miami by Tuesday at 3pm ET.

“Like all Americans, Mr Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The government has the burden of proving its charges beyond a reasonable doubt and securing a unanimous verdict by a South Florida jury,” Mr Romney said.

“By all appearances, the Justice Department and special counsel have exercised due care, affording Mr Trump the time and opportunity to avoid charges that would not generally have been afforded to others,” he said. “Mr Trump brought these charges upon himself by not only taking classified documents, but by refusing to simply return them when given numerous opportunities to do so.”

Read more:

Mitt Romney’s blistering response to Trump’s damning indictment

Trump speaking at two events today

17:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump will speak at two events today in key states in both the Republican primaries and general election — first in Georgia, and second in North Carolina.

Trump Speaks at Georgia GOP State Convention

When: Saturday, June 10, 2023

Time: 2:30 pm ET

Where: Columbus Convention & Trade Center in Columbus, GA

Trump Speaks at North Carolina GOP State Convention

When: Saturday, June 10, 2023

Time: 6:00 pm ET

Where: Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC

Watch: Trump heads to Georgia

16:59 , Oliver O'Connell

All the shocking photos revealed in the Trump indictment in Mar-a-Lago papers case

16:58 , Oliver O'Connell

An indicted Mar-a-Lago staff member texted photos of top secret documents scattered on the floor of a storage room at Donald Trump’s Florida club, according to bombshell indictment unsealed on Friday.

“I opened the door and found this,” Mr Trump’s “bag man” Walt Nauta texted an unknown Trump staffer in December 2021, along with two photos of the classified files sprawled on the floor.

At least one document was marked “Secret//Rel to USA, FVEY”, signifying that it was only meant to be viewed by the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The photo was among several contained in the 49-page indictment against Mr Trump, which laid out in stunning detail the 15-month investigation into his reckless mishandling of top secret material after leaving office.

Read more:

All the shocking photos revealed in the Trump indictment in Mar-a-Lago papers case

Trump claims ‘America went to sleep last night with tears in its eyes'

16:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Beginning his morning rant in a slightly more poetic way than usual, Donald Trump took to Truth Social today for his usual all-caps blustering diatribe.

He posted:

AMERICA WENT TO SLEEP LAST NIGHT WITH TEARS IN ITS EYES. SOMEDAY SOON, HOWEVER, IT WILL BE ABLE TO WIPE AWAY THOSE TEARS AND SMILE, BIGGER THAN EVER BEFORE, FOR WE WILL HAVE DEFEATED THE RADICAL LEFT MARXISTS, FASCISTS, COMMUNISTS, LUNATICS, & DERANGED MANIACS, & CLEARED THE PATH TO PUT AMERICA FIRST & THEN, QUICKLY, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

That’s quite a coalition he thinks he’s up against.

Christie says ‘facts that are laid out here are damning'

16:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Chris Christe appeared on CNN on Friday night, saying that “To take national security documents involving warfare and our nuclear program, to keep them in their home when they’re not allowed to do so, exposing them to potentially be seen by any number of people and then actually showing them to people ... This is irresponsible conduct.”

“The conduct that Donald Trump engaged in was completely self-inflicted,” he added. “And the facts that are laid out here are damning in terms of Donald Trump’s conduct.”

Legal scholar says indictment ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News legal commentator Jonathan Turley didn’t hold back after the indictment charging former President Donald Trump with 38 counts was unsealed.

The indictment, unsealed on Friday afternoon, stems from Mr Trump’s allegedly unlawful retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.

Trump aide Walt Nauta has also been charged after he was apparently spotted on surveillance footage moving boxes at the property. The ex-president stands accused of having moved classified documents from the White House at the end of his presidency despite not having the right to do so.

Mr Trump showed classified documents to others twice in 2021, the legal filing states.

Mr Turley, the Shapiro Chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, said on Fox News on Friday afternoon that “it is an extremely damning indictment”.

Gustaf Kilander reports

Jonathan Turley tells Fox News Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’

The mystery of the female Trump family member...

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A female member of Donald Trump’s family was involved in decisions over how to handle classified US government documents that he took from the White House, prosecutors have said.

In a historic indictment unsealed on Friday, authorities alleged that an unnamed family member gave instructions to Mr Trump’s aide Walt Nauta as he was preparing to squirrel away documents that the former president did not wish to give back.

The accusation widens the circle of people who may have had unauthorised influence over sensitive information about US nuclear weapons, military plans, foreign relations, and more.

Yet the identity of the family member remains a mystery, with the only clue being that Mr Nauta allegedly addressed her as “ma’am”.

Io Dodds investigates.

Mystery female Trump family member allegedly involved in decisions over secret papers

The federal charges against Donald Trump

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump faces 37 counts in a federal indictment stemming from the US Department of Justice investigation into his possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property.

Federal prosecutors will charge the former president with the willful retention of national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, conealing documents in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements.

Mr Trump will surrender, face arrest, and be formally charged in US District Court in Miami, as soon as next week, after a federal grand jury believed there was enough evidence to bring charges against him. A potential sentence, if convicted, could include decades in prison.

Read more...

The federal charges against Donald Trump

Mitt Romney says ‘Trump brought these charges upon himself’

13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican US Senator Mitt Romney said that former president Donald Trump had brought an indictment upon himself for his taking classified documents and refusing to return them.

Mr Romney released a statement on Friday after news that a grand jury indicted Mr Trump for his alleged unlawful of retention of national defence information at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Mr Trump said he must report to a court in Miami by Tuesday at 3pm ET.

Eric Garcia reports.

‘Trump brought these charges upon himself’: Romney blasts ex-president for indictment

‘We have one set of laws and they apply to everyone’

12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In brief remarks after the release of a searing federal indictment against Donald Trump, the man appointed to lead the investigation into the former president’s alleged mishandling of national security documents after he left the White House has defended the charges against him, and urged Americans to read the historic filing in full.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland as an independent investigator with the US Department of Justice, stressed that laws intended to “protect national defence information are critical to the safety and security of the United States.”

“And they must be enforced,” he said in remarks on 9 June.

Alex Woodward reports.

Jack Smith defends charges against Trump as sweeping indictment unsealed

How a tape of Trump’s remarks could land him in prison

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted a legally dubious claim that he declassified sensitive documents at his Mar-a-Lago property before he left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential election.

But he admitted, on a tape, six months after leaving office, that a document in his possession was “classified”, “highly confidential” and “secret information”. He admitted, on tape, that he could declassify such documents as president, but now that he is out of office, “I can’t.”

The recording from July 2021 was in possession of federal prosecutors investigating the former president’s alleged mishandling of hundreds of documents bearing classification markings found in boxes at his Florida home, and whether he lied to authorities and his attorneys about the records he was keeping.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump’s recording in ‘highly confidential’ documents case could land him in prison

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has lashed out at special counsel Jack Smith, branding the federal prosecutor a “deranged lunatic” and “psycho” for indicting him over mishandling of secret national security papers.

The former president attacked Mr Smith on his Truth Social platform after the Department of Justice’s 49-page, 37-count indictment against him was unsealed on Friday.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith

Key allegations in Trump’s unsealed indictment

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The federal indictment against Donald Trump outlines 37 counts related to retaining classified information, willfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and more.

The indictment was unsealed on Friday (9 June) afternoon, revealing the Department of Justice’s findings after a nearly year-long investigation into Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Last August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized boxes of documents from Mr Trump’s home, some of which included top-secret records detailing a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities.

Here are key points from the indictment:

Key allegations in Trump’s unsealed indictment

Trump praised attorney for deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 emails

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump praised an attorney who claimed they had deleted 30,000 of Hillary Clinton’s emails, according to a newly unsealed indictment from special counsel Jack Smith.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Trump praised attorney for deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 emails, indictment shows

Read the indictment in full

07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The federal indictment against former president Donald Trump has now been unsealed - revealing a stunning laundry list of 37 counts.

The 49-page, 37-count indictment was unsealed on Friday after Mr Trump released a series of social media posts revealing that he has been indicted by a grand jury under the supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith.

The indictment details the charges against Mr Trump and Walt Nauta, a former US Navy noncommissioned officer who left government service to work for Mr Trump after his term ended in January 2021.

Those charges include willful retention of national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, conealing documents in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements.

Mr Trump will surrender, face arrest, and be formally charged at an arraignment in US District Court in Miami next week. A potential sentence, if convicted, could include decades in prison.

Read Donald Trump’s 37-count federal indictment in full

Bombshell recording has Trump boasting about having non-declassified papers

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump made the stunning admission that he held onto “secret” military information that he hadn’t declassified in a bombshell tape believed to be at the heart of his indictment on federal charges.

A transcript of the 2021 tape was revealed by CNN on Friday morning, hours after news emerged that Mr Trump had been indicted on seven charges relating to the storage of classified national defence documents dating from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Trump boasts about having non-declassified papers in recording: ‘I have a big pile’

ICYMI: Trump lawyers quit hours after indictment

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Two lawyers working for former President Donald Trump have quit his legal team just a day after he was indicted on federal charges in connection to his handling of classified information.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump lawyers quit hours after indictment

Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified details

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump described a “plan of attack” devised by the Pentagon and shared a classified military map with a member of his political action committee who didn’t have a security clearance, the 37-count indictment against the former president shows.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map

Is Trump going to prison?

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s the question everyone is asking...

Is Donald Trump going to prison?

Indicted twice, here are all the investigations Trump faces

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The usually blustery ex-president may finally be feeling the heat, after reportedly telling an associate that since leaving office, he’s worried people across the country are going to be “suing me for the rest of my life.”

Here’s what you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump.

Trump has been indicted again: All the lawsuits and investigations he faces

GOP Congressman’s ‘scary as hell’ tweet seemingly calls for insurrection after Trump indictment

02:21 , Graeme Massie

GOP Congressman’s ‘scary as hell’ tweet seemingly calls for insurrection after Trump indictment.

Graig Graziosi has the details.

GOP lawmaker’s tweet seemingly calls for ‘war’ after Trump indictment

Ron DeSantis defends Trump and compares him to Hillary Clinton

02:05 , Graeme Massie

“Is there a different standards for a Democrat Secretary of State versus a former Republican president?” the Florida governor told a crowd in North Carolina on Friday.

Voices: Trump has been caught on tape. Congratulations, Donald – you played yourself

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes:

You can’t make this up. If you pitched this script in a writer’s room for a show about a comically corrupt president, you’d be laughed out of the room. They’d tell you this is too on the nose. Not even Veep or Succession could pull writing like this off. It’s an absolutely unreal level of reckless hubris that could only come from a guy like Trump who avoided accountability his entire life. Well, not anymore.

Read more...

Trump was caught on tape. Congratulations, Donald – you played yourself | Opinion

Comedy writer mocks Trump with Indiana Jones spin on secret documents

01:32 , Graeme Massie

Wow. Disney+ changed the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark...” tweeted Jesse McLaren along with a video which placed a box marked “Top Secret Army Intel” from the movie next to classified documents in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom.

Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in outrage at Trump indictment over secret papers

01:16 , Graeme Massie

“What’s going on here is a disgusting disgrace and it is a war on Trump, a war on the Republican party, and a war on the Republic,” he claimed.

Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in rant over Trump’s indictment

A timeline of the investigation into Mar-a-Lago documents

Saturday 10 June 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Here is a timeline of notable developments in the case so far.

A timeline of the investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents

US Senator Lisa Murkowski calls Trump charges ‘quite serious’

Saturday 10 June 2023 00:31 , Graeme Massie

The Republican from Alaska did not reject the indictment of the former president, unlike many in the GOP.

“As I’ve stated before, no one is above the law but every American is innocent until proven guilty. Still, the charges in this case are quite serious and cannot be casually dismissed,” she tweeted.

“Mishandling classified documents is a federal crime because it can expose national secrets, as well as the sources and methods they were obtained through. The unlawful retention and obstruction of justice related to classified documents are also criminal matters.

“Anyone found guilty – whether an analyst, a former president, or another elected or appointed official – should face the same set of consequences.”

Florida man: Why prosecutors charged Trump in the Sunshine State, and what it means for the judge and jury

Saturday 10 June 2023 00:18 , Graeme Massie

The ex-president could face a jury in Palm Beach County in a court in Miami with a judge he appointed, writes Alex Woodward.

Will Trump get help from Florida after his first federal indictment?

Can Trump run for president after being indicted?

Friday 9 June 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has been hit with a second sweeping indictment – at a time when he is hot on the trail for another stint in the White House.

The former president announced on Truth Social on 8 June that he has been indicted by a federal grand jury over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House - less than a year after the Department of Justice found a cache of secret papers at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The DoJ later unsealed a 49-page, 37-count indictment accusing Mr Trump of showed highly-classified information to unauthorised persons on two separate occasions - among many other allegations.

Can Donald Trump run for president in 2024 after being indicted?

Kevin McCarthy says Trump indictment will ‘disrupt the nation’: ‘We’re not going to stand for it’

Friday 9 June 2023 23:26 , Graeme Massie

‘Eye for an eye’: GOP on a war footing after Trump indicted on 37 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents.

Kevin McCarthy says Trump indictment will ‘disrupt the nation’

Legal scholar says indictment ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’

Friday 9 June 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News legal commentator Jonathan Turley didn’t hold back after the indictment charging former President Donald Trump with 38 counts was unsealed.

The indictment, unsealed on Friday afternoon, stems from Mr Trump’s allegedly unlawful retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.

Trump aide Walt Nauta has also been charged after he was apparently spotted on surveillance footage moving boxes at the property. The ex-president stands accused of having moved classified documents from the White House at the end of his presidency despite not having the right to do so.

Mr Trump showed classified documents to others twice in 2021, the legal filing states.

Mr Turley, the Shapiro Chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, said on Fox News on Friday afternoon that “it is an extremely damning indictment”.

Gustaf Kilander reports

Jonathan Turley tells Fox News Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’

OJ Simpson shares ‘advice’ for Donald Trump

Friday 9 June 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

OJ Simpson has shared his legal “advice” for Donald Trump after the former president’s historic second indictment.

News came yesterday (8 June) that Trump had been indicted on seven charges relating to the storage of classified national defence documents dating from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

If convicted, he could face a maximum combined sentence of 100 years in prison.

Read more...

OJ Simpson shares ‘advice’ for Donald Trump that he received from his lawyers

Mystery over female Trump family member allegedly involved in decisions over secret papers

Friday 9 June 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A female member of Donald Trump’s family was involved in decisions over how to handle classified US government documents that he took from the White House, prosecutors have said.

In a historic indictment unsealed on Friday, authorities alleged that an unnamed family member gave instructions to Mr Trump’s aide Walt Nauta as he was preparing to squirrel away documents that the former president did not wish to give back.

Io Dodds has the story.

Mystery female Trump family member allegedly involved in decisions over secret papers

Friday 9 June 2023 22:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Trump then paused to thank Rep Jim Jordan who has written to Attorney General Merrick Garland on his behalf to complain about the handling of the investigation:

He then posted:

They all spied on my campaign, so nothing is beyond them!

Attorney General Garland, Lisa Monaco, Matt Colangelo (now working at the D.A’s Office to “GET TRUMP”), Deranged Jack Smith and, of course, Biden himself, who is losing to me in the Polls (by a lot), are all Trump Haters. Jack Smith’s wife, Katy Chevigny, is the biggest Hater of them all. There is no way they can treat me fairly—but we will win, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

And then alluded to Hunter Biden:

Biden said he knew nothing about the Indictment of his number one rival, me. This is just like his statement that he knew nothing about who his son’s business partners were, which turned out to be a total lie!

Meanwhile on Truth Social...

Friday 9 June 2023 22:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump continues to angrily post on Truth Social — presumably to the horror of his lawyers — here’s some of his most recent posts:

….Biden had records for years, totally unsecured, even stolen when he was a Senator. This is crazy! Just like Jack Smith, Lisa Monaco, and the man they sent to the D.A.’s Office, Matt Colangelo. It isn’t America anymore. Under the Presidential Records Act, I’m allowed to do all this. Under the Clinton Socks Case, the decision is clear. There was no crime, except for what the DOJ and FBI have been doing against me for years.

Biden moved his Boxes all over the place, including to Chinatown and up to his lawyer’s office in Boston. Why isn’t deranged Jack Smith looking at that? Also, I supplied them openly, and without question, security tape from Mar-a-Lago. I had nothing to hide, nor do I now. Nobody said I wasn’t allowed to look at the personal records that I brought with me from the White House. There’s nothing wrong with that….

He then posted a clip from Fox News of attorney John Yoo saying: “They are using these charges to go after their primary challenger.”

The he returned to complaining about the boxes...

The Box on the floor which was opened (who opened it?) clearly shows there was no “documents,” but rather newspapers, personal pictures, etc. WITCH HUNT!

Strange! Everything about the boxes was so neat, orderly, and clean. Did the FBI tip over the one box the way they “staged” the papers on the floor during the raid of Mar-a-Lago, only to apologize after getting caught?

Mitt Romney blasts ex-president over documents indictment

Friday 9 June 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican US Senator Mitt Romney said that former president Donald Trump had brought an indictment upon himself for his taking classified documents and refusing to return them.

Mr Romney released a statement on Friday after news that a grand jury indicted Mr Trump for his alleged unlawful of retention of national defence information at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Mr Trump said he must report to a court in Miami by Tuesday at 3pm ET.

Eric Garcia reports.

‘Trump brought these charges upon himself’: Romney blasts ex-president for indictment

Trump staffer texted photos of classified documents spilling out of boxes

Friday 9 June 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

An indicted Mar-a-Lago staff member texted photos of top secret documents scattered on the floor of a storage room at Donald Trump’s Florida club, according to bombshell indictment unsealed on Friday.

“I opened the door and found this,” Mr Trump’s “bag man” Walt Nauta texted an unknown Trump staffer in December 2021, along with two photos of the classified files sprawled on the floor.

Bevan Hurley explains what happened next.

Trump staffer texted photos of scattered classified documents at Mar-a-Lago

Secret FBI files reveal confusion over Ivana Trump’s immigration status

Friday 9 June 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly released top secret FBI files on Ivana Trump have sealed confusion over her immigration status before she became a US citizen.

The second batch of documents related to Donald Trump’s first wife, who died in 2022, detail the Bureau’s efforts to establish which country she was a citizen of before coming to the US.

Graeme Massie reports.

Secret FBI files reveal confusion over Ivana Trump’s immigration status

Watch: McCarthy responds to indictment of Trump

Friday 9 June 2023 21:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy had this to say to Fox News regarding the indictment of former president Donald Trump on 37 charges.

“This is going to disrupt this nation because it goes to the core of equal justice for all which is not being seen today. And we’re not going to stand for it.”

Jack Smith defends Trump indictment

Friday 9 June 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In brief remarks after the release of a searing federal indictment against Donald Trump, the man appointed to lead the investigation into the former president’s alleged mishandling of national security documents after he left the White House has defended the charges against him, and urged Americans to read the historic filing in full.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland as an independent investigator with the US Department of Justice, stressed that laws intended to “protect national defence information are critical to the safety and security of the United States.”

“And they must be enforced,” he said in remarks on 9 June.

Alex Woodward reports.

Jack Smith defends charges against Trump as sweeping indictment unsealed

Capitol police officer wounded on Jan 6 reacts to Trump charges

Friday 9 June 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

“I call dibs on handcuffing him.”

Officer wounded on Jan 6 reacts to Trump charges: ‘Dibs on handcuffing him’

Read the 37-count federal indictment in full

Friday 9 June 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The federal indictment against former president Donald Trump has now been unsealed - revealing a stunning laundry list of 37 counts.

The 49-page, 37-count indictment was unsealed on Friday after Mr Trump released a series of social media posts revealing that he has been indicted by a grand jury under the supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith.

The indictment details the charges against Mr Trump and Walt Nauta, a former US Navy noncommissioned officer who left government service to work for Mr Trump after his term ended in January 2021.

Those charges include willful retention of national defence secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, concealing documents in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements.

Mr Trump will surrender, face arrest, and be formally charged at an arraignment in US District Court in Miami next week. A potential sentence, if convicted, could include decades in prison.

Read the indictment in full:

Read Donald Trump’s 37-count federal indictment in full

Stephen Miller makes Trump indictment about himself

Friday 9 June 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Stephen Miller whined that the indictment of his former boss Donald Trump was a “sad day” for him personally.

The former Trump White House official went on Fox News shortly after news of the indictment broke on Thursday night to claim the indictment would be looked back on as the moment that the United States “ceased to be a democratic republic”.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Stephen Miller makes Trump indictment about himself: ‘Sad day for me personally’

Key allegations in Trump’s unsealed indictment

Friday 9 June 2023 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell

The federal indictment against Donald Trump outlines 37 counts related to retaining classified information, willfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and more.

The indictment was unsealed on Friday (9 June) afternoon, revealing the Department of Justice’s findings after a nearly year-long investigation into Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Last August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized boxes of documents from Mr Trump’s home, some of which included top-secret records detailing a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities.

Here are key points from the indictment:

Key allegations in Trump’s unsealed indictment

‘It is an extremely damning indictment'

Friday 9 June 2023 20:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley interviewed on Fox News gave his assessment of the indictment, calling it “extremely damning”.

Watch:

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith

Friday 9 June 2023 20:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has lashed out at special counsel Jack Smith, branding the federal prosecutor who has indicted him over mishandling of secret national security papers a “deranged lunatic” and “psycho” on social media.

The former president attacked Mr Smith on his Truth Social platform after the Department of Justice’s 49-page 37-count indictment against him was made public on Friday.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith

Voices: Donald – you played yourself

Friday 9 June 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes:

You can’t make this up. If you pitched this script in a writer’s room for a show about a comically corrupt president, you’d be laughed out of the room. They’d tell you this is too on the nose. Not even Veep or Succession could pull writing like this off. It’s an absolutely unreal level of reckless hubris that could only come from a guy like Trump who avoided accountability his entire life. Well, not anymore.

Read more...

Trump was caught on tape. Congratulations, Donald – you played yourself | Opinion

Friday 9 June 2023 20:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Special Counsel Jack Smith:

“This indictment was voted by a grand jury of citizens in the Southern District of Florida and I invite everyone to read it in full to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged.”

“Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice and our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world.”

“We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.”

“The defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Smith says he will “seek a speedy trial”.

Watch LIVE: Special counsel statement on Trump indictment

Friday 9 June 2023 20:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies including CIA, DoD, and NSA

Friday 9 June 2023 20:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies after leaving the White House, the 49-page and 37-count unsealed indictment against the former president has revealed.

Gustaf Kilander has the details.

Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies including CIA, DoD, and NSA

The federal charges against Donald Trump

Friday 9 June 2023 19:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump faces 37 counts in a federal indictment stemming from the US Department of Justice investigation into his possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property.

Federal prosecutors will charge the former president with the willful retention of national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, conealing documents in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Trump’s shopping list of allegations: The charges he faces

Trump reacts to unsealed indictment by attacking special counsel

Friday 9 June 2023 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president posted on Truth Social:

This is the man who caused the Lois Lerner catastrophe with the IRS. He went after Evangelicals and Great Americans of Faith. The United States had to apologize, and pay major damages for what this deranged lunatic did. He had a unanimous loss in the Supreme Court. His wife is a Trump Hater, just as he is a Trump Hater—a deranged “psycho” that shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with “Justice,” other than to look at Biden as a criminal, which he is!

In pictures: How the boxes were stored at Mar-a-Lago

Friday 9 June 2023 19:41 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump praised attorney for deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 emails

Friday 9 June 2023 19:39 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump praised an attorney who claimed they had deleted 30,000 of Hillary Clinton’s emails, according to a newly unsealed indictment from special counsel Jack Smith.

The indictment, released a day after Mr Trump was indicted, revealed that he has been charged with 37 counts including conspiracy to obstruct justice and scheme to conceal that laid bare for the first time the vast scope of the classified document investigation.

The indictment details a conversation Mr Trump held with two lawyers, listed as Trump Attorney 1 and Trump Attorney 2 on 23 May 2022.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Trump praised attorney for deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 emails, indictment shows

Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map with PAC member

Friday 9 June 2023 19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump described a “plan of attack” devised by the Pentagon and shared a classified military map with a member of his political action committee who didn’t have a security clearance, the 37-count indictment against the former president shows.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map

How were the boxes stored at Mar-a-Lago?

Friday 9 June 2023 19:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Photos in the indictment show boxes stored on a stage and in a bathroom...

Watch: Why the indictment is so devastating

Friday 9 June 2023 19:19 , Oliver O'Connell

What was found at Mar-a-Lago?

Friday 9 June 2023 19:18 , Oliver O'Connell

According to the unsealed indictment of Trump, FBI agents collected a total of 102 classified documents in the 8 August 2022, search of Mar-a-Lago:

• 27 were in Trump’s office

• 75 were in a storage room

• 17 top secret documents were among the classified materials collected

Friday 9 June 2023 19:14 , Oliver O'Connell

8. As a result of TRUMP's retention of classified documents after his presidency and refusal to return them, hundreds of classified documents were not recovered by the United States government until 2022, as follows:

a) On January 17, nearly one year after TRUMP left office, and after months of demands by the National Archives and Records Administration for TRUMP to provide all missing presidential records, TRUMP provided only 15 boxes, which contained 197 documents with classification markings.

b) On June 3, in response to a grand jury subpoena demanding the production of all documents with classification markings, TRUMP's attorney provided to the FBI 38 more documents with classification markings.

c) On August 8, pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant, the FBI recovered from TRUMP's office and a storage room at The Mar-a-Lago Club 102 more documents with classification markings.

Friday 9 June 2023 19:12 , Oliver O'Connell

7. On March 30, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI’) opened a criminal investigation into the unlawful retention of classified documents at The Mar-a-Lago Club. A federal grand jury investigation began the next month. The grand jury issued a subpoena requiring TRUMP to turn over all documents with classification markings. TRUMP endeavored to obstruct the FBI and grand jury investigations and conceal his continued retention of classified documents by, among other things:

a) suggesting that his attorne|- falsely represent to the FBI and grand jury that TRUMP did not have documents called for by the grand jury subpoena;

b) directing defendant WALTINE NAUTA to move boxes of documents to conceal them from TRUMP’s attorney, the FBI, and the grand jury;

c) suggesting that his attorney hide or destroy documents called for by the grand jury subpoena;

d) providing to the FBI and grand jury just some of the documents called for by the grand jury subpoena, while claiming that he was cooperating fully; and

e) causing a certification to be submitted to the FBI and grand jury falsely representing that all documents called for by the grand jury subpoena had been produced while knowing that, in fact, not all such documents had been produced.

Friday 9 June 2023 19:11 , Oliver O'Connell

4. At 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2021, TRUMP ceased to be president. As he departed the White House, TRUMP caused scores of boxes, many of which contained classified documents, to be transported to The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he maintained his residence. TRUMP was not authorized to possess or retain those classified documents.

5. The Mar-a-Lago Club was an active social club, which, between January 2021 and August 2022, hosted events for tens of thousands of members and guests. After TRUMP’s presidency, The Mar-a-Lago Club was not an authorized location for the storage, possession, review, display, or discussion of classified documents. Nevertheless, TRUMP stored his boxes containing classified documents in various locations at The Mar-a-Lago Club including in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.

6. On two occasions in 2021, TRUMP showed classified documents to others, as follows:

a) In July 2021, at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey (*The Bedminster Club"), during an audio-recorded meeting with a writer, a publisher, and two members of his staff, none of whom possessed a security clearance, TRUMP showed and described a "plan of attack" that TRUMP said was prepared for him by the Department of Defense and a senior military official. TRUMP told the individuals that the plan was "highly confidential" and "secret." TRUMP also said, "as president I could have declassified it," and, "Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret."

b) In August or September 2021, at The Bedminster Club, TRUMP showed a representative of his political action committee who did not possess a security clearance a classified map related to a military operation and told the representative that he should not be showing it to the representative and that the representative should not get too close.

Indictment introduction

Friday 9 June 2023 19:09 , Oliver O'Connell

1. Defendant DONALD J. TRUMP was the forty-fifth President of the United States of America. He held office from January 20, 2017, until January 20, 2021. As president, TRUMP had lawful access to the most sensitive classified documents and national defense information gathered and owned by the United States government, including information from the agencies that comprise the United States Intelligence Community and the United States Department of Defense.

2. Over the course of his presidency, TRUMP gathered newspapers, press clippings, letters, notes, cards, photographs, official documents, and other materials in cardboard boxes that he kept in the White House. Among the materials TRUMP stored in his boxes were hundreds of classified documents.

3. The classified documents TRUMP stored in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.

The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.

Friday 9 June 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump facing 37 counts

Friday 9 June 2023 18:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is facing 37 felony counts across:

• willful retention of national defense information

• conspiracy to obstruct justice

• withholding a document or record

• corruptly concealing a document or record

• concealing a document in a federal investigation

• scheme to conceal

• false statement and representations

Justice Department unseals indictment

Friday 9 June 2023 18:46 , Oliver O'Connell

The indictment against Donald Trump and Walt Nauta has been unsealed.

Trump indictment unsealed

Hillary Clinton trolls Trump

Friday 9 June 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Hillary Clinton mocked Donald Trump on Twitter after the former president was indicted on seven counts in connection to the federal investigation into his handling of classified information.

Read what she said:

Hillary Clinton trolls Trump over federal indictment

Watch: OJ (yes, OJ) offers some free legal advice to Trump

Friday 9 June 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website