Trump arrives in Florida on the eve of the classified documents hearing

The former US president has arrived Donald TrumpMonday, to Florida on the eve of the classified documents hearing.

Miami police said they are ready to handle large crowds and protests at Trump’s hearing.

For the second time in two months, charges were brought against former US President Donald Trump, but this time at the federal level. The US Department of Justice announced, on Friday, that 37 charges had been filed against him in the White House archive case.

Trump was summoned to appear before a federal court in Miami, today, Tuesday, at 15:00 local time, and he is expected to surrender himself to the authorities in advance, according to the American “Forbes” magazine.

Full boxes

When he left the White House in January 2021, the Justice Department said, Trump took with him entire boxes of classified files from the Pentagon, the CIA, the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies.

Trump also kept these files unsafely at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he hosted large social events attended by tens of thousands of guests, according to the indictment filed in a Florida federal court.

The documents Trump took included “information related to defense capabilities and weapons for both the United States and foreign countries, US nuclear programs, potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies in the event of a military attack, and plans for a possible response to a foreign attack.”

According to the document, “the unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents may endanger the national security of the United States.”

The indictment included charges including “keeping information related to national security”, “conspiracy to obstruct justice” and concealing false documents and statements.

The charges, brought by special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is tasked with independently overseeing the investigation, carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years each.

Six charges have also been brought against a Trump aide, Walt Nauta, for helping to conceal the documents.

“personal memorabilia”

For her part, the lawyer of former US President Donald Trump and his allies considered, on Sunday, that it was within his rights to keep documents after leaving the White House as personal “souvenirs” or declassified documents, denouncing the “political prosecutions” against him.

His lawyer, Alina Haba, told Fox News two days before her client appeared before a federal court in Miami, Florida, that Trump has “every right to keep confidential documents after they have been declassified.”

In turn, Trump ally Chairman of the House Judicial Affairs Committee Jim Jordan told CNN that “the president’s ability to classify and control access to national security information is derived from the Constitution … He said he declassified this material, and he could put it anywhere.” He wants it, and he can handle it however he wants.”

According to an opinion poll conducted by the “Ipsos” institute and the “ABC News” network, published Sunday, 47% of the participants who were questioned on Friday and Saturday considered that the charges in the case were “politically motivated”, compared to 37% who did not believe that.

Meanwhile, 61% of respondents think the lawsuit against Trump is “very serious” (42%) or “somewhat serious” (19%).