Trump indictment – live: Trump tries wild new defence as allies arrive in Miami for court arraignment

Donald Trump will be arraigned today on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House, as he becomes the first current or former US president to ever face federal criminal charges.

The former president will appear for his arraignment at a federal court in the Southern District of Florida at 3pm ET, where he has vowed to plead not guilty to all charges.

“I’ll just say ‘not guilty.’ I didn’t do anything wrong,” he told Boston radio show WRKO on Monday.

Despite his confidence, The Independent exclusively revealed that Mr Trump was struggling to find attorneys willing to defend him in Florida.

Miami officials meanwhile are bracing for protests outside the courthouse with Mayor Francis Suarez saying at a press conference that the city is enacting plans to “make sure that everyone has a right to peacefully express themselves and exercise their constitutional rights” in “an obviously peaceful manner”.

Several supporters have voiced violent rhetoric online and MAGA loyalists Kari Lake and Laura Loomer, the Proud Boys and at least one Capitol rioter (named Baked Alaska) are expected to descend on Miami in support of the former president.

Key Points

• Trump to appear in court for federal arraignment today

• Trump to hold post-arraignment speech in Bedminster

• Miami officials brace for protests

• Trump struggles to find defence counsel for Miami arraignment

• The federal charges against Donald Trump

Why is Trump’s case different to those of Biden and Pence?

15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s supporters and many Republican officials contend that the former president is the target of a politically weaponised justice system that has ignored similar alleged crimes committed by his rivals.

“Lock her up” chants directed at Hillary Clinton still dominate GOP rallies. House Republicans have launched committees to investigate the sitting president and his family.

But in classified documents cases involving President Joe Biden and former vice president Mike Pence, both men cooperated with federal law enforcement and returned those records. Ms Clinton was not found to have deliberately mishandled classified information or obstruct justice in the recovery of communications.

Mr Trump, according to prosecutors, did exactly that.

Alex Woodward reports.

Why Trump’s indictment can’t compare to cases involving Biden, Pence and Clinton

Protests begin outside of Florida courthouse

15:30 , Ariana Baio

Protests have begun to take place outside of the Miami courthouse where Donald Trump is expected for his arraignment at 3pm EST.

The Independent’s White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports live from the scene:

“Good morning from the federal court complex in Miami, where former President Donald Trump is expected to appear for his arraignment on federal charges, stemming from his alleged unlawful retention of national defense information after the end of his term.

Thus far the throngs of pro-trump protesters that police have feared have not materialized, but there has been a smattering of colorful characters milling about the courthouse grounds, with most appearing to be here in support of the former president.

One of Mr Trump’s Republican, primary rivals, Vivek Ramaswamy, is expected to deliver remarks in front of the courthouse in approximately 20 minutes.”

Most Republicans believe indictment was ‘politically motivated’

15:20 , Ariana Baio

A new poll from Reuters and Ispsos shows that 81 per cent of self-identifying Republicans believe the federal indictment against former president Donald Trump is politically motivated.

This number exceeds the estimated percentage of Mr Trump’s base – which Reuters cited as 30 to 35 per cent.

The poll gives some insight into how politically divided Americans are when it comes to Mr Trump.

Despite the federal indictment laying out 37 specific charges related to Mr Trump allegedly retaining and concealing classified documents from the government, only 35 per cent of Republicans said it was believable that Mr Trump illegally stored the documents in his Florida home.

All the investigations Trump faces

15:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s what you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump.

Trump has been indicted again: All the lawsuits and investigations he faces

Kevin McCarthy gives baffling defence of Trump storing classified documents in Mar-a-Lago bathroom

15:00 , Ariana Baio

Kevin McCarthy gave a bewildering defence of former President Donald Trump storing classified documents in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom, noting that bathroom doors have locks.

The speaker was asked by a reporter on Monday if it was a “good look” for Mr Trump to have boxes of documents in his bathroom. In images released by the Department of Justice, the boxes can be seen in a bathroom with a chandelier.

“I don’t know,” Mr McCarthy said. “Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.”

Gustaf Killander reports:

What time is Trump’s arraignment and will it be live-streamed?

14:40 , Rachel Sharp

Former president Donald Trump is expected to surrender to authorities at a federal courthouse in Miami, Florida on Tuesday (13 June) on 37 charges related to his retention of classified documents.

On Monday afternoon, Mr Trump left his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey, and boarded his private plane to make his way down to Florida.

It is the second time Mr Trump will be arraigned, the first being earlier this year when he was indicted in New York on 34 felony charges related to business fraud.

Here’s what to expect today:

What time is Trump’s arraignment and will it be live-streamed?

WATCH: Outside Trump's Doral golf club ahead of federal court appearance

14:20 , Rachel Sharp

What to expect as Trump faces arraignment in federal court

14:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump will turn himself into authorities in Miami, Florida today and be arraigned for the second time in his political career.

This time, the arraignment comes after Mr Trump was indicted on 37 federal charges related to allegedly unlawfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice and refusing to turn over dozens of classified documents, stored at his Mar-a-Lago home, to the National Archives.

As Mr Trump prepares to attend his arraignment at 3pm EST at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr United States Courthouse in Miami, here’s what to expect.

Alex Woodward reports:

Handcuffs or a mugshot? What to expect as Trump faces arraignment in federal court

Trump-appointed judge will not oversee arraignment

13:40 , Rachel Sharp

Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, has been appointed to oversee the federal criminal case against Donald Trump, meaning she will be placed in charge of the timing and progression of the criminal case as well as rulings on motions brought by the defence and prosecution.

If the former president is then convicted, she would also be tasked with handing down a sentence to the very man who nominated her to that position.

Judge Cannon’s appointment raises questions as she was nominated to the bench by Mr Trump in his last days in office. She has already come under fire for delivering rulings widely considered favourable to Mr Trump over the course of the investigation into the classified documents.

But while she will oversee the case, Magistrate Judge John Goodman will oversee the arraignment on Tuesday afternoon.

Kevin McCarthy gives shocking defence of Trump storing classified papers in bathroom

13:20 , Rachel Sharp

Kevin McCarthy gave a shocking – and somewhat ridiculous – defence of Donald Trump’s move to allegedly store classified documents in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago.

On Monday, the House Speaker was asked by a reporter if he thinks it’s a “good look” for the former president to keep boxes containing top secrets and national defence information in a bathroom at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Mr McCarthy gave a bizarre response: “I don’t know. Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.”

The garage reference was a slight on President Joe Biden after documents were found in the garage of his Delaware home.

Mr McCarthy added: “[You] have a lot of these documents behind a Corvette in a garage with the door wide open.

“You’ve got a son of, Hunter Biden, who knows who he had there, in and out.”

Trump insists he feels ‘fine’ ahead of arraignment

13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump insisted that he felt “fine” about his looming court appearance on 37 federal criminal charges.

On Monday night, in an appearance on Boston radio WRKO’s “The Howie Carr Show”, he was asked how his mood was ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s fine,” he said.

Mr Trump also insisted that he plans to plead not guilty to the charges.

“I’ll just say ‘not guilty.’ I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.

Read the special counsel indictment document in full:

12:40 , Rachel Sharp

Read Donald Trump’s 37-count federal indictment in full

MyPillow CEO – and conspiracy theorist – Mike Lindell to attend Trump’s Bedminster speech

12:20 , Rachel Sharp

How Trump’s second indictment unfolded: A timeline of the investigation into Mar-a-Lago documents

12:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges relating to the storage of classified national defence documents dating from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 45th president of the United States will now appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday 13 June, his lawyer has since confirmed. Should he ultimately be convicted, he could face a maximum combined sentence of 100 years in prison.

Looking back from the start of the investigation until the indictment, here’s the timeline surrounding the investigations into the documents.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

A timeline of the investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents

What time is Trump’s arraignment?

11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump will appear for his arraignment on 37 charges, making him the first current or former US president to ever face federal criminal charges.

The arraignment is scheduled for 3pm ET at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr United States Courthouse in Miami.

Mr Trump has vowed to plead not guilty to all charges.

Trump struggles to find new defence counsel as Miami arraignment looms

11:20 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump spent much of the day before his first appearance as a criminal defendant in federal court in search of experienced legal representation, but without much in the way of results.

Mr Trump, who departed on Monday afternoon from the resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he primarily resides during the summer months to travel to Miami aboard his bespoke Boeing 757, has spent much of the last year and a half cycling through a rotating cast of criminal defence attorneys as he has contended with the Department of Justice probe that resulted in his unprecedented indictment under the Espionage Act last week.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Trump struggles to find new defence counsel as Miami arraignment looms

Trump latest legal battle comes day before birthday

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump’s latest legal battle comes just one day before he celebrates his birthday.

The former president will turn 77 on Wednesday (14 June), just hours after he becomes the first current or former US president to be arrested on federal criminal charges.

While Mr Trump repeatedly takes shots at President Joe Biden’s age and cognitive ability, the political rivals are similar in age.

At the time of the next election in 2024, Mr Trump will be 78 and Mr Biden will be 81.

Law enforcement prepare for Trump’s arraignment

10:40 , Ariana Baio

Federal law enforcement agents are preparing for former president Donald Trump’s arrival in Miami, Florida ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday.

Photos show Department of Homeland Security police putting police tape in front of the federal courthouse where Mr Trump is scheduled to appear.

Has Ivanka Trump changed her name?

10:20 , Rachel Sharp

Rumours have swirled online that Ivanka Trump has changed her name to Kushner.

While there is no evidence to support this, it is clear the former president’s daughter has sought to distance herself from her father’s scandals in recent months.

The Trump administration adviser has moved away from politics and taken steps to separate herself from her family.

She did not attend her father’s 2024 campaign launch – or his speech following his New York arraignment in April.

It remains to be seen whether or not she will attend his post-arraignment speech in Bedminster on Tuesday night.

WATCH: Trump's plane lands in Miami ahead of arraignment on 37 federal charges

10:00 , Ariana Baio

Trump will give post-arraignment speech on Tuesday night

09:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump has announced plans to deliver a post-arraignment speech on Tuesday night.

The former president will be arraigned at 3pm ET on Tuesday on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House.

He will then fly straight back to his New Jersey golf club to deliver remarks at 8.15pm ET.

Most Republicans believe Mar-a-Lago case to be politically motivated

08:40 , Namita Singh

Former president Donald Trump arrived in Miami on Monday to face federal criminal charges, while a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found a vast majority of his fellow Republicans believe the case to be politically motivated.

Mr Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, is scheduled to be in a Miami federal courthouse at 3pm EDT this afternoon for an initial appearance in the case.

Accused of unlawfully keeping documents relating to US national security and lying to officials who tried to recover them, Mr Trump has proclaimed his innocence and vowed to continue his campaign to regain the presidency in a November 2024 election.

Mr Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, touched down in Miami at 2.54pm in a private jet with his name emblazoned on the side.Supporters gathered outside a nearby golf club he owns, where he was due to stay the night.

“I HOPE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS WATCHING WHAT THE RADICAL LEFT ARE DOING TO AMERICA,” he wrote on his Truth Social social-media platform before departing from New Jersey.

Mr Trump’s legal woes have not affected his popularity among Republican voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday found that 81 per cent of Republicans thought the charges were politically motivated. The poll also found Mr Trump continues to lead his rivals for the party’s presidential nomination by a wide margin.

Judge denies media request for photo, video images of Trump arraignment

08:20 , Namita Singh

A federal magistrate judge on Monday rejected a request by news organisations for photo and video access to an initial court appearance in Miami by former US president Donald Trump.

Eight key takeaways from the Trump indictment

08:00 , Ariana Baio

The federal indictment against Donald Trump outlines 37 counts related to retaining classified information, willfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and more.

Here are key points from the unsealed indictment.

Ariana Baio reports:

Eight key takeaways from the Trump indictment

Trump will face judge in historic court appearance over charges he mishandled secret documents

07:40 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump was set to make his first court appearance on Tuesday in a historic criminal case charging the former president with hoarding top secret government documents, boastfully displaying them to visitors and trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.

Mr Trump approached his Miami court date with characteristic bravado, insisting as he has done through years of legal woes that he has done nothing wrong and was being persecuted for political purposes.

But the gravity of the moment is unmistakable as he answers to 37 felony counts that accuse him of willfully retaining classified records that prosecutors say could have jeopardized national security if exposed.

The case is laden with political implications for Mr Trump, who currently holds the dominant spot in the early days of the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

But it also poses profound legal consequences given the prospect of a years-long prison sentence. Even for a defendant whose post-presidential life has been dominated by investigations, the documents probe has stood out for both the apparent volume of evidence amassed by prosecutors and the severity of the allegations.

Dutiful Nauta an ‘easy prey’

07:20 , Namita Singh

Ty Cobb, the former White House attorney who served as Donald Trump’s lawyer during the Russia investigation, said he felt sorry for Walt Nauta, whom he described as a dutiful worker who “nods and then does what he’s been told to do.”

“I think Walt is easy prey for the president because this is a dedicated patriot,” he said. “The proudest moment he ever had was being named valet to the president and sadly the president he got named valet for was Trump.”

Mr Cobb recalled Mr Nauta stopping by his home, checking in on him and fetching him club soda when he was working late. He said he remembered how Mr Nauta noticed — after dozens of uneaten hamburgers — that Mr Cobb didn’t eat meat and quietly began substituting salmon for his lunches.

“I think it’s really sad that people were not able to convince him of his misplaced loyalty,” Mr Cobb said of Mr Nauta’s decision not to cooperate with prosecutors. “He should be a witness. He shouldn’t be a defendant. But you can only dangle that opportunity for so long before you have to shoot. So I think it’s tragic.”

John Dean, the White House counsel who testified against former president Richard Nixon over Watergate and later served four months for obstructing justice, said that he would advise Mr Nauta to turn against Mr Trump.

“He could strike a good deal and help put it away for the government,” he said on CNN.

As for Michael Cohen, he gave grand jury testimony over the hush money payments that led to the first-ever criminal charges against a former president. Mr Trump was indicted in March in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to the payouts to the women who alleged sexual encounters with him. Mr Trump has denied the allegations and any criminal wrongdoing.

Weisselberg, who testified against the Trump Organization at his trial, said on the witness stand that neither Mr Trump nor his family knew about the tax scheme. Prosecutors maintained Mr Trump “knew exactly what was going on.”

Cohen said Mr Nauta should learn from his own experience that devotion to Mr Trump isn’t worth the consequences.

“I predict Walt will suffer the exact same outcome as the rest of us who have all been thrown under the bus for the benefit of Donald J Trump,” Cohen said, describing “just another Trump acolyte whose life has been turned completely upside down for his misguided loyalty to a man who didn’t deserve it.”

Ex-Trump security official says his handling of classified documents could have cost lives

07:00 , Ariana Baio

A Trump administration Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official has given a stunning assessment of the toll that Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents has taken on the safety and security of the American people.

Elizabeth Neumann, who served as the DHS’s assistant secretary for counterterrorism from February 2017 to April 2020 and now works as an ABC News contributor, told ABC’s This Week that lives may have been lost as a result of the former president’s actions.

“This causes people to die,” she said.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Ex-Trump official says his handling of classified documents could have cost lives

Nauta faces six federal charges in Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago

06:40 , Namita Singh

Walt Nauta, according to the indictment unsealed Friday, played a crucial role in the alleged scheme with Mr Trump, who is charged with 37 counts of illegally hoarding classified documents and obstructing the government’s efforts to get them back.

The government alleges Mr Nauta helped pack Trump’s boxes before he left the White House and repeatedly moved them to various rooms at Mar-a-Lago in response to Trump’s requests.

At one point, the indictment alleges, Mr Nauta discovered several boxes had fallen over in the storage room, dumping their contents on the floor. He snapped and shared photographs of the scene, which included a document with a visible marking, warning it was restricted to only the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

Mr Nauta was key to Mr Trump’s investigation early on, with FBI agents grilling him about the movement of boxes inside Mar-a-Lago weeks before serving their search warrant at the property. Like other witnesses close to Mr Trump, though, his answers to law enforcement put him in legal jeopardy.

Although prosecutors say Mr Nauta moved boxes of documents to Mr Trump’s residence for his review at his direction, he lied to agents by saying he wasn’t aware of that happening, according to the indictment. And when agents asked if he knew where on the property the boxes had been stored, he said, “I wish, I wish I could tell you. I don’t know. I don’t — I honestly just don’t know.”

Mr Nauta’s attorney, Stanley Woodward, declined to answer questions about the charges or any efforts to get his client to turn on the former president, but confirmed the two would appear together.

Mr Nauta faces six federal charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing a document or record and making false statements. His inclusion in the indictment was met by protest from Trump, who praised Nauta as “a wonderful man” who had “done a fantastic job!”

“They are trying to destroy his life, like the lives of so many others, hoping that he will say bad things about ‘Trump.’ He is strong, brave, and a Great Patriot. The FBI and DOJ are CORRUPT!” he wrote.

Walt Nauta is the latest Trump loyalist to face potential jail time

06:21 , Namita Singh

When former president Donald Trump appears in federal court on Tuesday, he will be joined at the defence table by a man well-practised in standing by his side: his valet turned alleged co-conspirator, Walt Nauta.

Mr Nauta, a Navy veteran who fetched Mr Trump’s Diet Cokes as his valet at the White House before joining him as a personal aide at Mar-a-Lago, now finds himself in legal jeopardy alongside the former president. He is accused of moving boxes from the White House at Mr Trump’s direction and then lying about it to investigators.

Mr Nauta is the latest in a series of Trump loyalists to face potential jail time after his work for the former president.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime fixer and attorney, spent more than 13 months in prison over payouts he helped arrange during the 2016 presidential race to keep women from going public about alleged sexual encounters with Mr Trump. Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer at the Trump Organization, just finished serving three months at Rikers Island after pleading guilty to receiving $1.7 million in unreported job perks.

“Loyalty to Donald Trump is like First Avenue in Manhattan: one way. History has shown time and again that Donald cares for no one other than himself,” said Cohen, who has since turned on Mr Trump and eventually tried to win leniency by cooperating with prosecutors.

ICYMI: Trump waves as he boards plane to Miami arraignment

06:00 , Ariana Baio

Trump asserts candidacy for 2024 presidential election

05:40 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump remained firm about his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, ahead of his arraignment in Miami.

There were no circumstances “whatsoever” under which he would leave the 2024 race, where he’s been dominating the Republican primary, he told his friend and adviser Roger Stone in an interview on WABC Radio.

Trump calls on supporters to ‘protest peacefully’

05:20 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump landed in Miami around 3pm on Monday and got into a waiting SUV. He was expected to huddle with advisers before his court appearance, as he looks to line up additional lawyers following the departure before his indictment last week of two attorneys who had handled the defence for months

.He’s encouraged supporters to join a planned protest at the Miami courthouse on Tuesday, where he will face the charges and surrender to the authorities.“We need strength in our country now,” Mr Trump said on Sunday, speaking to longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone in an interview on WABC Radio.

“And they have to go out and they have to protest peacefully. They have to go out.”“Look, our country has to protest. We have plenty to protest. We’ve lost everything,” he went on.

Evidence in classified documents indictment may have come from Trump’s lawyer

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Some evidence included in the federal indictment against former president Donald Trump allegedly included voice notes recorded by Mr Trump’s lawyer M Evan Corcoran.

According to a report from The New York Times, Mr Corcoran allegedly recorded voice notes describing his work for Mr Trump when he was hired as a legal team member. The notes supposedly included a “narrative tone” from Mr Corcoran where he recounted his time working for Mr Trump – including the former president allegedly asking his attorneys to ignore the initial subpoena.

Mr Corcoran’s voice notes were obtained as evidence via a crime-fraud exception which can allow prosecutors to obtain evidence around the attorney-client privilege if the communications in question were in furtherance of the crime.

Trump ratchets rhetoric against Justice Department

04:40 , Namita Singh

Ahead of his court date, Donald Trump and his allies have been escalating efforts to undermine the criminal case against him and drum up protests.

He’s ratcheted up the rhetoric against the Justice Department special counsel who filed the case, calling Jack Smith “deranged” as he repeated without any evidence his claims that he was the target of a political persecution.

And even as his supporters accuse the Justice Department of being weaponised against him, he vowed on Monday to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate president Joe Biden and his family if Mr Trump is elected to a second term.

Trump prepares for court appearance as first ex-president to face federal criminal charges

04:20 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump arrived in Florida on Monday ahead of a history-making federal court appearance on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department’s efforts to get them back.

Mr Trump’s Tuesday afternoon appearance in Miami will mark his second time since April facing a judge on criminal charges.

But unlike a New York case some legal analysts derided as relatively trivial, the Justice Department’s first prosecution of a former president concerns conduct that prosecutors say jeopardised national security, with Espionage Act charges carrying the prospect of a significant prison sentence.

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

04:00 , Ariana Baio

A Florida district judge assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s classified documents case is attracting criticism ahead of his court appearance in Miami – given that it was Mr Trump himself who elevated her to the bench three years ago.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

Trump claims he will ‘go after’ Joe Biden if elected president

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump claimed he would appoint a special prosecutor and go after President Joe Biden, as well as his family, should he become president in an angry Truth Social rant.

In an all-caps post, Mr Trump made a bevy of promises to fulfill should he get elected president including ‘closing the border’, ‘making American energy independent’ and ‘dominate again’.

“I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself,” Mr Trump posted.

In addition to the 37 federal charges related to the investigation of classified documents, Mr Trump is also facing an investigation in Georgia into alleged election interference in 2020.

VOICES: Republicans in North Carolina abandon their own while they rush to defend Trump

02:00 , Ariana Baio

“In the same way, some of the sharpest barbs at the North Carolina Republican Party’s convention in the same city were aimed not towards the Democrats, Black Lives Matter, Antifa or whatever boogeymen, but towards other Republicans. Former vice president Mike Pence offered some of his loudest criticisms for former president Donald Trump, on both January 6 as well as not being firm enough in his opposition to abortion. Meanwhile, Mr Trump continued his attacks on his chief rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom he calls “Ron DeSanctimonious”.”

Eric Garcia writes:

Republicans will pay for abandoning their own as they throw themselves behind Trump

Trump vows to ‘go after’ Biden’s family in bitter Truth Social rant

01:32 , Graeme Massie

A vengeful Donald Trump swore that he’d get even with Joe Biden on Monday as he boarded a private jet to Miami where he is set to face his second criminal indictment this year.

The ex-president ranted on Truth Social that he planned to use the power of the federal government, should he be elected to the presidency in 2024, to personally target Mr Biden’s family.

John Bowden reports:

Ex-CIA chief calls Lindsey Graham a ‘spineless coward’ over his defence of Trump

01:01 , Graeme Massie

John Brennan, who ran spy agency under Barack Obama, says Trump “is definitely a threat, a major danger to our national security.”

Ex-CIA chief calls Lindsey Graham a ‘spineless coward’ over his defence of Trump

Biden and Pence were also caught with classified documents. Why is Trump’s case different?

Tuesday 13 June 2023 00:27 , Graeme Massie

Former president’s alleged attempts to hide documents and lie to law enforcement and a grand jury about them are at the centre of a 37-count indictment against him, writes Alex Woodward.

Why Trump’s indictment can’t compare to cases involving Biden, Pence and Clinton

Nikki Haley says Trump was ‘incredibly reckless with our national security’ if allegations are true

Tuesday 13 June 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Former South Carolina Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley said if the allegations laid out in the indictment against Donald Trump are true then he was “incredibly reckless” with national security.

While speaking with Fox News, Ms Haley said she believes the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have “lost all credibility with the American people” but that doesn’t mean the allegations against Mr Trump are insignificant.

“If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, president Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security,” Ms Haley said.

She added: “This puts all of our military men and women in danger if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies. And if that’s the case it’s reckless, it’s frustrating and it causes problems.”

Miami mayor says city braced for protests ahead of Trump court appearance amid far-right threats

Monday 12 June 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

Miami mayor Francis Suarez says his city is braced for right-wing protests with Donald Trump set to make his first appearance there on secret document criminal charges.

Mr Suarez told reporters on Monday that people had the right to protest in Miami but that law enforcement was ready to deal with any violence.

“People should have the right to express themselves, but we also believe in law and order, and we know that — we hope that tomorrow will be peaceful,” said Mr Suarez.

Graeme Massie reports:

Miami mayor says city braced for protests ahead of Trump court appearance

Will Trump’s arraignment be live-streamed?

Monday 12 June 2023 22:44 , Graeme Massie

Former president Donald Trump is expected to surrender to authorities at a federal courthouse in Miami, Florida on Tuesday (13 June) on 37 charges related to his retention of classified documents.

It will be Mr Trump’s second arraignment, his first being in New York earlier this year.

Just like that one, this arraignment will not be live-streamed.

Cameras will not be allowed in the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr courthouse during the former president’s arraignment. However, new reporters who manage to get a seat at the hearing will be allowed to use electronic devices but only in text function and not verbatim.

“News reporters are not authorized to record or transmit in any way audio, still photography, or video from anywhere inside courthouses nor from inside courtrooms, including any lobby areas, of any building housing a federal court,” the Southern District of Florida court website says.

Trump heads to Doral property ahead of arraignment on 37 federal charges -

Monday 12 June 2023 22:30 , Graeme Massie

Handcuffs, fingerprints or a mugshot? What to expect as Trump faces arraignment in federal court

Monday 12 June 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

After a grand jury recommended criminal charges against Donald Trump, federal prosecutors issued a sweeping 37-count indictment charging the former president with obstruction and the unlawful retention of national defense information for allegedly storing dozens of sensitive government documents at his Florida home and refusing to turn them over to federal authorities.

His arraignment at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr United States Courthouse in Miami is scheduled for 3pm ET on 13 June.

Alex Woodward reports:

Handcuffs or a mugshot? What to expect as Trump faces arraignment in federal court

John Bolton says Trump thought ‘cool’ secret documents ‘might be souvenirs’

Monday 12 June 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Former Trump administration official John Bolton says he thinks that former president Donald Trump likely kept documents because he thought they were “cool” or might be a “souvenir” from his presidency.

Mr Bolton, who worked as Mr Trump’s national security adviser, told CNN that Mr Trump did not think about the sensitivity of the documents, The Daily Mail reported.

“And so I think a lot of these documents, he may have just thought were cool, a lot of them he thought might be souvenirs. A lot of them he thought might be useful to him later. I can’t answer the question until iI see the document,” he said.

Mr Bolton said he did not know which documents Mr Trump took but he was familiar with which types of documents were placed before the former president.

Eric Garcia reports:

John Bolton says Trump thought ‘cool’ secret documents ‘might be souvenirs’

Police monitoring online far-right threats and pro-Trump protests with federal indictment

Monday 12 June 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Law enforcement agencies and extremism researchers are closely monitoring online threats and escalating rhetoric surrounding Donald Trump’s arraignment as the former president formally faces federal criminal charges in a sweeping indictment connected to his possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property.

Mr Trump continues to deny wrongdoing, casting the multiple investigations and lawsuits involving him, his campaign or business empire as a hoax, a fraud or a politically motivated hit job against him or his agenda, while using apocalyptic rhetoric and furious social media posts to draw support to his 2024 campaign fund and legal efforts.

Alex Woodward reports:

Trump supporters plan protests as police monitor far-right threats over federal case

McCarthy insinuates classified documents found in Mar-a-Lago bathroom are more secure than Biden’s garage

Monday 12 June 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy positively compared the classified documents found in the bathroom at Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago to documents found in President Joe Biden’s garage.

While speaking with the press, Mr McCarthy insinuated the classified documents in the Mar-a-Lago bathroom would be safer than in a garage because: “A bathroom door locks.

One member of the media asked Mr McCarthy: “Is that a good look for the former president to have boxes in the bathroom?”

In response, Mr McCarthy said: “I don’t know, is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.”

Trump lands in Miami, one day ahead of arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 20:12 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump has landed in Miami, Florida – approximately one day ahead of his expected arraignment.

Mr Trump’s private plane touched down around 3.00pm local time.

The former president is expected to remain in Florida until his hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday (13 June) afternoon. After, Mr Trump will head back to his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey and later give remarks at his golf club.

What is an indictment?

Monday 12 June 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump on Thursday broke another legal barrier when he became the first former US president ever to be federally indicted.

A federal grand jury indicted Mr Trump in the investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified documents. The indictment unsealed on Friday revealed 37 counts against the former president, including conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of documents, and false statements.

Here’s a rundown of what all the legal terminology means and how we might see Mr Trump’s case progress through the criminal justice system.

Abe Asher and Gustaf Kilander report:

What is an indictment? Here’s what Donald Trump is facing

Law enforcement prepare for Trump arrival in Miami

Monday 12 June 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

Federal law enforcement agents are preparing for former president Donald Trump’s arrival in Miami, Florida ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday (13 June).

Photos show Department of Homeland Security police putting police tape in front of the federal courthouse where Mr Trump is scheduled to appear.

In addition, authorities are monitoring plans for pro-Trump rallies, according to The Washington Post. This includes a supposed rally that will take place outside of the courthouse on Tuesday allegedly organised by a chapter of The Proud Boys.

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

Monday 12 June 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

A Florida district judge assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s classified documents case is attracting criticism ahead of his court appearance in Miami – given that it was Mr Trump himself who elevated her to the bench three years ago.

Unless she chooses to recuse herself, Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, will be placed in charge of the timing and progression of the criminal case as well as rulings on motions brought by the defence and prosecution.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Aileen Cannon: The judge with Trump’s fate in her hands was appointed by him

Trump claims he will ‘go after’ Joe Biden if elected president

Monday 12 June 2023 18:45 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump claimed he would appoint a special prosecutor and go after President Joe Biden, as well as his family, should he become president in an angry Truth Social rant.

In an all-caps post, Mr Trump made a bevy of promises to fulfill should he get elected president including ‘closing the border’, ‘making American energy independent’ and ‘dominate again’.

“I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself,” Mr Trump posted.

In addition to the 37 federal charges related to the investigation of classified documents, Mr Trump is also facing an investigation in Georgia into alleged election interference in 2020.

Watch live: Trump supporters hold rally in Miami as ex-president faces arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

Watch live: View outside Trump’s Bedminster home ahead of Miami arraignment

Trump struggles to find new defence counsel as Miami arraignment looms

Monday 12 June 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump spent much of the day before his first appearance as a criminal defendant in federal court in search of experienced legal representation, but without much in the way of results.

Mr Trump, who departed on Monday afternoon from the resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he primarily resides during the summer months to travel to Miami aboard his bespoke Boeing 757, has spent much of the last year and a half cycling through a rotating cast of criminal defence attorneys as he has contended with the Department of Justice probe that resulted in his unprecedented indictment under the Espionage Act last week.

Two of the more experienced criminal defence lawyers in his stable, James Trusty and John Rowley, quit the ex-president’s team on Thursday, just hours after a Florida grand jury voted to charge him with 37 separate counts stemming from alleged violations of the Espionage Act and other portions of the US criminal code.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Trump struggles to find new defence counsel as Miami arraignment looms

WATCH: Trump waves as he boards plane to Miami arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 17:45 , Ariana Baio

VOICES: Lindsey Graham is lying for Trump. And it shows the real issue with the Republican party

Monday 12 June 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

“Over the weekend, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham provided an unusually straightforward demonstration of how right-wing populism justifies itself. As everyone who follows the news is aware, former president Donald Trump was indicted on 37 charges last week, including violations of the Espionage Act, after he allegedly took secret documents from the White House. Graham went on ABC’s This Week to defend Trump.”

Noah Berlatsky writes:

Lindsey Graham is lying for Donald Trump | Opinion

Trump plane departs New Jersey for Florida as ex-president faces 37 charges

Monday 12 June 2023 17:24 , Ariana Baio

WATCH: Trump departs for Miami ahead of arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump departs Bedminster ahead of Miami arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 16:45 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump has departed from Bedminster, New Jersey to head to Florida ahead of his arraignment.

The former GOP president is set to travel to Miami today, Monday, 12 June, ahead of his arraignment on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

He is due to appear in Miami federal court on Tuesday (13 June), following the unsealing of his indictment on Friday.

Prosecutors are expected to charge Mr Trump with willful retention of national defence secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents in a federal investigation and making false statements.

Trump prepares to depart for Miami ahead of indictment arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

On Truth Social, former president Donald Trump said he was getting ready to depart for Miami for his arraignment as part of the federal indictment against him while blaming the left for “destroying our country”.

“Getting ready to head down to Doral in Miami,” Mr Trump wrote.

“We must all be STRONG and DEFEAT the Communists, Marxists, and Radical Left Lunatics that are systematically destroying our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” He added.

Watch live: View outside Trump’s Bedminster home ahead of Miami arraignment

Monday 12 June 2023 16:15 , Ariana Baio

Watch live as former Republican president Donald Trump is expected to depart his Bedminster home for Florida.

Watch live here:

Watch live: View outside Trump’s Bedminster home ahead of Miami arraignment

WATCH: Ex homeland security official say Trump had ‘blatant disregard for rules'

Monday 12 June 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

Ex-Trump security official says his handling of classified documents could have cost lives

Monday 12 June 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio

A Trump administration Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official has given a stunning assessment of the toll that Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents has taken on the safety and security of the American people.

Elizabeth Neumann, who served as the DHS’s assistant secretary for counterterrorism from February 2017 to April 2020 and now works as an ABC News contributor, told ABC’s This Week that lives may have been lost as a result of the former president’s actions.

“This causes people to die,” she said.

“This is a very serious top secret [and] special access program.

“When they fall into the wrong hands, people die and the United States’ security is deeply compromised.”

Rachel Sharp reports:

Ex-Trump official says his handling of classified documents could have cost lives

How Trump’s second indictment unfolded: A timeline of the investigation into Mar-a-Lago documents

Monday 12 June 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges relating to the storage of classified national defence documents dating from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 45th president of the United States will now appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday 13 June, his lawyer has since confirmed. Should he ultimately be convicted, he could face a maximum combined sentence of 100 years in prison.

Looking back from the start of the investigation until the indictment, here’s the timeline surrounding the investigations into the documents.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

A timeline of the investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents