Trump to Face Charges and Possible Jail Time - GOP Rivals Rally to His Defense
Security has been ramped up near the federal courthouse in Miami where former President Donald Trump is set to face 37 charges Tuesday afternoon. He stands accused of mishandling classified records and obstructing government efforts to get them back.
Trump is the first current or former president to face federal criminal charges and to do so while campaigning for another term.
Trump told supporters at a rally in North Carolina, "You get indicted over nothing? You get indicted over the 'Presidential Records Act', which they don't even admit. They call it the 'Espionage Act.'"
Supporters of former President Donald Trump gather outside Mar-A-Lago, Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Some of President Trump's main rivals for the GOP presidential nomination joined him in criticizing the indictment.
Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence said, "Attorney General Merrick Garland, stop hiding behind the special counsel and stand before the American people and explain why this indictment went forward."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, "Our founding fathers would have absolutely predicted the weaponization that we've seen with these agencies, particularly Justice and FBI."
Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said if elected, he would pardon Trump, while former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie openly criticized Trump's behavior regarding the documents.
Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz calls it an effort to "get" Trump, but he cautioned, "This is a much stronger indictment than the Bragg indictment, but it's the product of targeting. The question is can you prosecute someone when you've targeted that person."
William Barr, who served as Attorney General under Trump says the indictment is fair.
"If even half of it is true, then (Trump's) toast. It's a very detailed indictment, and it's very, very damming," Barr said.
A CBS News poll found that three out of four likely GOP primary voters believe the indictment is politically motivated and 61 percent say it won't change their view of Trump.
Trump says he'll never leave the presidential race, even if convicted. One former prosecutor said it's possible Trump could be jailed if convicted on any of the charges.
