Donald Trump is about to set an unwanted record as the first former president to face federal criminal charges as he makes an appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon.
Trump found his was into 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.
Meanwhile, today’s appearance in Miami will mark the second time since April 2023 that the former United States (U.S) president will be facing a judge on criminal charges.
However, 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 jeopardized national security, with Espionage Act charges carrying the prospect of a significant prison sentence.
Ahead of his court date, the highly-outspoken Trump and his supporters have been escalating efforts to undermine the criminal case against him and drum up protests.
He has 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.
Even as his supporters accuse the Justice Department of being weaponized against him, Smith vowed on Monday to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate President Joe Biden and his family if Trump is elected to a second term.
Trump landed in Miami around 3 p.m. Monday and got into a waiting Sports Utility Vehicle (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 defense for months.
Trump has on the other hand encouraged his supporters to join a planned protest on Tuesday at the Miami courthouse where he will face the charges and surrender to authorities.
“We need strength in our country now,” Trump said while 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.
He also said there were no circumstances “whatsoever” under which he would leave the 2024 race where he has been dominating the Republican primary.
