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Donald Trump to appear in court on charges he stole classified documents

The former US president will be fingerprinted and have a mugshot taken, but it will not be released
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

06.26 13 Jun 2023


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Donald Trump to appear in cour...

Donald Trump to appear in court on charges he stole classified documents

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

06.26 13 Jun 2023


Share this article


Former US President Donald Trump has spent the night at his golf club in Doral, just outside Miami in Florida, ahead of an historic federal court appearance.

He will appear at the Wilkie D Ferguson Court House at 3pm (8pm Irish time) on charges he stole classified documents and lied to block efforts to get them back.

Trump touched down in his private plane on Monday afternoon.

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A small group of supporters gathered outside the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort, cheering as his motorcade drove past.

He faces 37 felony counts over documents found at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home, as well as claims he obstructed justice and made false statements.

In response to a lawsuit by Donald Trump, the US Department of Justice National Security Division and US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida submitted a filing containing this image, described as "Redacted FBI photograph of certain documents and classified cover sheets recovered from a container in the '45 office'." The "45 office" refers to the office of former US President Donald Trump. On August 8th 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. In response to a lawsuit by Donald Trump, the US Department of Justice National Security Division and US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida submitted a filing containing this image, described as "Redacted FBI photograph of certain documents and classified cover sheets recovered from a container in the '45 office'." The "45 office" refers to the office of former US President Donald Trump. On August 8th 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. Picture by: American Photo Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Pictures released by the US Department of Justice as part of its unsealed indictment showed boxes of documents stacked inside his Mar-a-Lago estate, including in a bathroom.

Details on nuclear weapons programmes, potential vulnerabilities of the US and its allies, and plans for retaliatory military attacks were in some of the documents, according to prosecutors.

Roughly 13,000 documents were seized in raids on the property nearly a year ago. 100 of them were marked as classified.

Prosecutors say Trump's hoarding of papers from his time as president jeopardised national security - and the Espionage Act charges carry the prospect of up to 20 years in jail.

Views inside the Mar-a-Lago estate, owned by Donald Trump, in 2008 Views inside the Mar-a-Lago estate, owned by Donald Trump, in 2008. Picture by: chris Bott / Alamy Stock Photo

Writing on his Truth Social site before boarding his flight, he said: "I hope the entire country is watching what the radical left are doing to America."

However some of Mr Trump's Republican challengers for the US presidential nomination appear to be shifting their tone.

Speaking to Fox News, Nikki Haley - a US ambassador to the UN under Trump - said: "If this indictment is true... President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security... This puts all of our military men and women in danger."

It is the first federal indictment of a former president, but Mr Trump claims he is being persecuted in an attempt to stop him becoming president again in 2024.

Polls suggest his supporters overwhelmingly believe the charges are politically motivated.

In a weekend CBS News poll of Republican voters at the weekend, just 12% said their biggest concern about the indictment was fact that the documents posed a national security risk.

More than three-quarters (76%) said their biggest concern was that the indictment is politically motivated.

2PJY9EN Former US President Donald Trump arrives at New York Criminal Court for his arraignment after a grand jury indictment on Tuesday, April 4th 2023 on more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Former US President Donald Trump arrives at New York Criminal Court for his arraignment after a grand jury indictment on Tuesday, April 4th 2023 on more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Picture by: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

Miami's police chief said he was expecting up to 50,000 people on the streets for Tuesday's hearing, and that downtown roads could be closed if necessary.

The former president will be fingerprinted. He will have a mugshot taken but it will not be released and there will be no cameras of any sort in the courtroom itself.

He will have the charges read out to him and enter a plea. The case will then be adjourned.

Mr Trump, who turns 77 this week, is also due to go on trial next March over separate claims that he falsified business records to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity.

There is another case against him in Georgia for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Scheduling for the three trials could mean that this case is not completed before the November 2024 US presidential election.

Additional reporting: IRN

Main image: Former US President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on April 13th, 2023. Picture by: Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo

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Classified Documents Donald Trump Federal Court Mar-a-Lago Miami Trump National Doral Miami Golf Resort Wilkie D Ferguson Court House

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