Radical supporters of the Republican presidential candidate used rather martial tones, fueling fears of possible violence. Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said security forces are well positioned to ensure the situation does not escalate.
It is the first time that a federal charge has been filed against a former US president. Trump was already indicted at the state level in New York in April for paying hush money to a porn star. Other cases against Trump are also under investigation. So far, the allegations related to the documents carry the heaviest legal weight.
The allegations against Trump
In August, the Federal Police’s FBI searched Trump’s private residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida and seized numerous classified documents from his tenure, some of them at the highest level of classification. Mar-a-Lago is a club with paying rooms and public events. Keeping confidential government documents in private rooms after Trump came to power could have made him liable to prosecution.
He is charged with conspiracy to obstruct investigations and illegally storing highly sensitive information. According to the indictment, these include details of the nuclear capabilities of the United States and other countries, military weaknesses in the defenses of the United States and its partners, and information about possible military action.
The explosive charge
The indictment charges Trump with seven categories of felony and more than 35 felonies in total. The details in the 49-page paper are explosive. For example, it says that Trump kept boxes of classified information in, among other things, his bedroom, a bathroom, a shower, a ballroom and a storage room. Some of the boxes would have stood temporarily in a space where public events took place. A storage room was easily accessible through a public swimming pool.
In the indictment, the investigators describe how Trump spoke to other people about classified information or showed it to unauthorized third parties, including on the basis of audio recordings.
The procedure on Tuesday
Trump arrived in Miami on Monday and set up camp at his luxury resort, Doral. The court date on which the indictment will be read is scheduled for Tuesday at 3:00 pm local time (9:00 pm CET). Trump will then be remanded in custody. At these appointments, fingerprints are usually taken from suspects, classic police photos are taken and handcuffs are often put on. Exactly how the process with Trump will proceed was unclear in advance. In New York, authorities had not given Trump handcuffs and a photo.
It is also considered certain that Trump will leave the court after the formal procedure. The Republican will then fly from Florida to New Jersey, where he has announced a speech to supporters at his golf club in Bedminster on Tuesday evening (8.15 pm local time/02.15 am CET Wednesday evening).
The security measures
Several Trump supporters from the right-wing Republican Party had made martial statements following the indictment, sparking fears that violence could break out. MP Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter:
Arizona Republican Kari Lake said anyone trying to reach Trump would have to get past her and millions of armed Americans first.
In view of potential protests, Miami has shut down a large security presence. Police Chief Morales said there were enough resources for a crowd of up to 50,000 protesters. “We take this event very seriously,” he said Monday. “We know things can take a turn for the worse, but that’s not Miami’s way.”
However, the courthouse was initially not cordoned off on Monday. Only yellow barrier tapes fluttered there. In front of the courthouse, however, there has been a major media storm for days. And already on Monday there was a long line of those who wanted to get a seat in the courtroom.
The Trump fans
A number of Trump supporters gathered on the sidewalk outside Trump’s Doral resort on Monday. As his black column passed by, they waved flags and cheered him. Aileen, a woman in her 50s from Florida, angrily said she stood there because the allegations were politically motivated. “It’s a two-tier justice system, we’re fed up.”
The Democrats are the millionaires’ party, Trump is the president of the hard-working, forgotten population. Such a sentence in front of the walls of a building with several golf courses and swimming pools sounds almost ironic, the luxury of which one can hardly imagine in the stuffy street.
Another woman said she supports Trump because the “deep state” wants to topple him. The term is based on the conspiracy theory that secret powers pull the strings behind political decisions. Pete Crotty, a Trump fan who sold Trump merchandise for his red pickup truck adorned with flags, shares his belief that Trump was only targeted because he was the most likely Republican presidential nominee.
Trump put down this story. The 76-year-old dismisses the accusations against himself, seeing the accusations as a politically motivated attempt to keep him from running for a second term. He speaks of “political contract killing” and “waging war” by legal means. (con/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
