Donald Trump has made his first public appearances since he was indicted on 37 federal charges in connection to the classified materials investigation into the former president.
Trump spoke at Republican state conventions in Georgia and North Carolina on Saturday, during which he used speeches to attack Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe as a “political hit job.”
Trump became the first-ever U.S. president to face federal charges after he was indicted for allegations that include 31 counts of willful retention of classified documents, as well as additional counts including conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing a document in a federal investigation, and making false statements and representations.
Donald Trump in North Carolina
Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks June 10, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Trump spoke during the North Carolina Republican party’s annual state convention two days after becoming the first-ever U.S. president indicted on federal charges.
Trump touched on a number of other issues, including the recent merger of the PGA and LIV golf tournaments, the departure of CNN CEO Chris Licht, and also attacked his 2024 GOP presidential primary rivals, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Classified Documents Case
During his speech in Georgia, Trump doubled down on his claims that the federal probe into him was a “witch hunt.” He has been formally charged on allegations he illegally retained classified documents after he left the White House and then obstructed the federal attempt to retrieve them from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
“They’ve launched one witch hunt after another to try and stop our movement, to thwart the will of the American people,” Trump told the crowd in Columbus.
“In the end, they’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you—and I’m just standing in their way.
“The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration’s weaponized ‘Department of Injustice’ will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country,” Trump added. “Many people have said that—Democrats have even said it. This vicious persecution is a travesty of justice.”
Elsewhere, Trump attacked Smith—the prosecutor who is also leading the federal January 6 investigation—as “deranged” while discussing the special counsel’s recent press conference discussing the indictment.
“I watched him yesterday go up and talk. He talked for about two and a half minutes. He was shaking. He was so scared. He didn’t want to be there, because ultimately these are cowards.”
Trump also accused the Justice Department of being “a sick nest of people that need to be cleaned out.”
“They took one charge and made it 37,” Trump said. “It’s a political hit job.”