Donald Trump Saw His Latest Indictment Coming (And He's Not Backing Down)
Donald Trump likely has a long way to go before he's able to put his current legal woes behind him now that he's been indicted — for a third time.
The next few months are crucial for Trump if he plans to run a successful presidential campaign. And while the 2024 election could very well result in him reclaiming the title of president in January 2025, much to the dismay of his detractors, the journey to get there will be anything be easy. Or simple. Aside from the fact that he made history as the sole president to have been impeached on two separate occasions, per PBS, he also has a mountain of legal troubles, which are making a potential second term an uphill battle.
In June, Trump was indicted for hoarding sensitive government documents. That same month, the charges resulted in Trump becoming the second-ever president to get arrested. According to NPR, former President Ulysses S. Grant was actually the first commander-in-chief to get arrested... although his crime of riding in a horse-drawn carriage that was speeding wasn't nearly as scandalous. Once again, Trump's legal problems continue to stack up, as he's now on the unwanted end of another federal investigation.
Donald Trump allegedly spread falsehoods in an effort to overturn election results
Per ABC News, Donald Trump's alleged attempt to meddle in the 2020 presidential election results continues to cause him problems. In July, Trump was notified by Special Counsel Jack Smith that he was looking into his role in the matter. Per the outlet, Smith delivered Trump's legal team a target letter, which serves as a warning of possible indictment. Now, Trump has officially been indicted on four counts in connection with his plot to overturn the results leading up to January 6, 2021. Federal prosecutors said the former president "was determined to remain in power" after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, according to CNN.
"So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won," the indictment reads. Although Trump was aware of said falsehoods, he "disseminated them anyway — to make his knowingly false claims appear legitimate, create an intense atmosphere of mistrust and anger, and erode public faith in the administration of the election." Six unnamed co-conspirators were also included in Smith's probe.
Trump's campaign was quick to respond to the news. "This is nothing more than the latest corrupt chapter in the continued pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their weaponized Department of Justice to interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election, in which President Trump is the undisputed frontrunner, and leading by substantial margins," the campaign stated (via The Guardian). They added that these "un-American witch hunts will fail and President Trump will be re-elected..."