Miami: Donald Trump, who was the president of the US from 2009 to 2017, pleaded not guilty to 37 charges that he illegally kept classified papers after he left office.
Trump went to court in Miami on Tuesday, where he charged by the federal government with mishandling US government secrets.
The area around the federal building in downtown Miami was very safe. AFP said that Trump pled not guilty to mishandling government secrets.
Trump charged with 37 counts because his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, was not the right place to handle sensitive papers. This second accusation came out just a few months after Trump charged in a different hush-money case. It was by a grand jury in Manhattan.
CNN says that in both cases, Trump has strongly rejected the claims. He promised to keep running for president in 2024 despite them. When he gets to his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort on Tuesday night, he will give a speech.
“It was one of the saddest days in our country’s history. As he driven to court, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “We are a nation in decline.” He repeated his usual accusation of a “witch hunt!”
After Trump’s social media post, his assistant Steven Cheung shared a short video clip. That seemed to show the motorcade leaving Trump’s Doral property and heading to the Miami courthouse.
“President Trump is on his way to fight the witch-hunt,” he wrote.
A source in the legal system said that Trump will treated like any other suspect. According to AFP, his fingerprints will taken digitally. A picture of him will added to the court’s records but not made public.
Police were out in force, and some were on horses and bicycles. They were ready for protests and possible trouble, but the mood was happy because a local radio station was playing Cuban salsa music.
Trump drove in a motorcade of at least six black SUVs from his Doral golf club to the courthouse, which took about 25 minutes. He had criticized Smith on Truth Social earlier, calling the prosecutor a “thug” and a “lunatic.”
Trump accused of keeping classified documents after he leaves the White House in 2021, which is against the law and could get him up to 10 years in jail. He also accused of conspiring to obstruct justice, making false statements, and other crimes.
