According to media reports, the former US President has pleaded “not guilty” to the historic charges against Donald Trump in the affair over the handling of secret government documents. This was reported by the broadcaster CNN and the “Washington Post” unanimously from the meeting of the responsible court in Miami. The meeting took place behind closed doors.
The current Republican presidential nominee had to be present in person in the state of Florida for the presentation of the allegations against him. It is the first time a federal indictment has been filed against an ex-president.
Several hundred supporters of the Republican gathered outside the courthouse to protest the indictment. They cheered Trump upon his arrival. Some critics of the ex-president also came.
Radical supporters of Trump had previously adopted martial tones, sparking fears of possible violence surrounding Trump’s court appearance. At first, however, there were no incidents. Miami’s police chief Manny Morales had previously assured that the security forces were well positioned and could ensure that the situation did not escalate.
Trump had already been charged at the state level in New York in April in connection with hush money payments to a porn star – this was the first charge against an ex-president ever. With the documents affair, the first indictment against a former president in a federal court followed within a few weeks. Other cases against Trump are also under investigation. So far, the allegations in connection with the secret government documents have weighed the most heavily from a legal point of view.
The allegations against Trump
In August, the Federal Police FBI searched Trump’s private home Mar-a-Lago in Florida and confiscated numerous classified documents from his tenure, some with the highest classification level. Mar-a-Lago is a club with paying guest rooms and public events. By storing confidential government documents in private rooms after his term in office, Trump could have made himself liable to prosecution.
He is accused of conspiring to obstruct investigations and illegally storing highly sensitive information. According to the indictment, these included 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 potential military action.
The explosive indictment
The indictment charges Trump with seven categories of misdemeanor and more than 35 felonies. The details in the 49-page paper are explosive. For example, it states that Trump kept boxes of classified information in his bedroom, a bathroom, a shower, a ballroom and a storage room. Some boxes would have stood temporarily in a room where public events were taking place. A storage room was easily accessible via a public pool area.
In the indictment, the investigators detail how Trump spoke to other people about classified information or showed it to unauthorized third parties, based on audio recordings, among other things.
The court date
Trump arrived in Miami on Monday and spent the night at his luxurious Doral resort. On Tuesday he was taken to the courthouse in a column with a large security presence. The actual court proceedings took place behind closed doors. Although some journalists and citizens were admitted to the building, there was a strict ban on electronic devices. The session was not broadcast, and even photos were forbidden in the courtroom.
Fingerprints are usually taken from suspects at these appointments, classic police photos are taken and handcuffs are often put on. In New York, the authorities had given Trump no handcuffs and a photo. That was also expected in Miami. Trump should leave the court and Miami immediately after the appointment to fly from Florida to New Jersey. In his golf club in Bedminster he wants to perform in front of supporters there on the German night on Wednesday.
The safety precautions
Several Trump supporters from the right-wing Republican Party made martial statements after the indictment was published, sparking fears that violence could break out. MP Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter: “We have now entered a phase of war. An eye for an eye.” Arizona Republican Kari Lake said anyone trying to get to Trump must first get past her and millions of armed Americans. The city of Miami therefore turned off a large security contingent. 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 on Monday. “We know things could take a turn for the worst, but that’s not Miami’s way.” At first, the situation around the court remained calm.
Die Trump-Fans
Trump supporters had already gathered on Monday for the Republican’s arrival in Miami in front of his resort Doral. Aileen, a Florida woman in her 50s, said the charges against Trump were politically motivated. The Democrats are the millionaires’ party, Trump is the president of the hard-working, forgotten population. A sentence like this in front of the walls of a property with several golf courses and pools sounds almost ironic, the luxury of which one can hardly imagine on the stuffy street.
Pete Crotty, a Trump fan who peddled Trump merchandise in front of his red pickup truck decorated with flags, said Trump was only targeted because he was the top Republican presidential contender.
Trump set this narrative. He rejects the allegations against himself and sees the charges as a politically motivated attempt to keep him from a second term. Trump speaks of “political contract killing” and “waging war” with legal means.
