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Once more! After Donald Trump (76) had to appear in court in New York at the beginning of April for possible hush money payments, the former US president is now facing a new charge. He will appear before a U.S. federal court in Miami on Tuesday over the affair, which involved hundreds of secret documents.
Blick tells you what you need to know about the process.
What is the process about?
After the end of his term, Trump allegedly took hundreds of documents, some of them top secret, from the White House to his private residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida and deliberately hid them there. The indictment mentions, among other things, “Secret Service briefings on other countries” and “assessments of the nuclear and military capabilities of other nations”. Many of the documents are classified Top Secret.
Trump kept the documents in white boxes. The 49-page indictment contains photos of boxes that were actually intended for the state archives and that were kept in Mar-a-Lago, including in a ballroom, in a bathroom and in a shower. He would also have shared the information with people who were not authorized to do so. In all, Trump was charged with 37 counts.
According to US expert Claudia Brühweiler, it is unclear what Trump wanted with the documents. “That could be explosive,” she says.
What is Trump threatening?
Donald Trump risks a long prison sentence. In addition to illegally keeping secret documents in 31 cases, he is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, among other things. If found guilty, Trump faces a long prison sentence. The various charges carry maximum sentences of five to 20 years.
There is certainly a chance of a conviction, says USA expert Brühweiler. “Even those who defend him do not say that Trump is innocent. A lot contradicts him. Many experts therefore assume that this trial can lead to a conviction.”
What are Trump and his allies saying?
Trump, who plans to travel from his Miami golf course in his private convoy of vehicles to the scheduled court date of Tuesday afternoon (local time, 9 p.m. Swiss time), took the usual aggressive tone in advance. “There has never been anything like it. There has never been a witch hunt like this,” Trump told a conservative Spanish-language radio station on Monday, once again ranting about “criminal acts” and “heinous acts” by the authorities now pursuing him.
Other Republican politicians had also made statements in a manner that observers said could lead to violence leading up to the trial. Arizona State Representative Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter that “a phase of war has now been reached,” adding, “an eye for an eye.”
Is there an escalation of violence in Miami?
Authorities estimate that up to 50,000 Trump supporters will protest at the scene. Among others, a local group of the far-right Proud Boys militia has announced its arrival. The presence of security forces has increased dramatically around the Miami courthouse.
“We are calling on people to remain peaceful,” said Republican Mayor of Miami, Florida, Francis Suarez. Security measures have also been greatly increased in the city. Trump himself wants to return to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey after the court session and give a speech about the indictment there.
What role does the judge play?
According to experts, a role that should not be underestimated. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the case, is considered a conservative and a supporter of Trump. She was appointed by Trump during his presidency and the case has now been arbitrarily assigned to her.
Cannon has a major influence on the course of the process. With her decisions, she had blocked the investigation for weeks. In fact, an appeals court staffed by conservative justices has already stepped in and found Cannon has already overstepped his authority in the case.
What are the political implications of the charge?
Trump is the clear favorite in the race for the Republican nomination for the November 2024 presidential election. The charges won’t stop him from running — even a conviction in the documents affair wouldn’t disqualify him. “You can also have a criminal record or be in a trial and still be elected,” says Brühweiler. The only exception is that if Trump were convicted in another trial related to the January 6 storm at the Capitol, an amendment would apply. Then there is no choice anymore.
The indictment is unlikely to hurt Trump much in terms of electoral policy: past affairs and scandals have never really weakened the right-wing populist’s support among the conservative base. Trump is also trying to further mobilize his supporters by portraying himself as a victim of politically motivated investigations by President Joe Biden’s administration. Leading Republicans have already condemned the investigation into the right-wing populist.
However, Trump faces further charges over the Jan. 6, 2021, storm at the Capitol and his attempts to influence the election outcome in South Georgia after the 2020 presidential election. He was also charged in the spring with paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The many legal issues will likely become an increasing burden on Trump’s election campaign, including the primary that begins in early 2024.
US expert Brühweiler says that when it comes to the primaries, despite the many affairs, no one should hold a candle to Trump. In the actual elections in November 2024, the situation is different. “Here, Trump is already behind current incumbent Joe Biden. The countless lawsuits and indictments only harm Trump. So Biden himself should be fine if he has to run against Trump again. He has the best chance against him.”
Source: Blick
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.
