WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump has called his indictment “ridiculous and baseless” in his first public appearance since the charges were announced, Western media reported on Saturday.
According to BBC, a 37-count indictment announced on Friday accuses Trump of keeping classified files at his Mar-a-Lago property.
Trump Calls Indictment ‘Ridiculous and Baseless’
Trump said the indictment amounted to “election interference” by the “corrupt” justice department and FBI. He has refused any wrongdoing. Donald Trump was charged with mismanagement of hundreds of classified files, including some regarding US military plans and nuclear secrets. It alleged that Trump lied to detectives and made an attempt to hinder the probe into his handling of the classified documents.
They are the first-ever federal charges against an ex-US President.
In a speech at a Republic Party convention in Georgia, he said: “They are cheating, they are crooked, they are corrupt – these criminals cannot be rewarded, they must be defeated,” BBC reported.
Trump called the indictment a “hoax” by the “corrupt political establishment.” It was a “joke” and a “travesty”, Trump said.
Donald Trump, who is running for Presidency again in 2024, had earlier reacted furiously to the indictment, calling it a politically-motivated “scam”.
The 49-page indictment comprises the first-ever federal charges against Trump. The document says the classified materials Donald Trump stored in his boxes contained information regarding US nuclear programmes, weapons capabilities of both the US and foreign nations etc.
Former President Trump has earlier claimed that he declassified materials while president, but his lawyers have declined to make that argument in court filings. On Thursday, after announcing the indictment, Trump tweeted on his Truth Social platform that he is an innocent man.
