“Go to Washington now”
Trump comes into the courtroom from the golf club
08/03/2023, 8:00 p.m
If he is arrested and then elected US President, Trump could still take his oath of office: the 77-year-old must answer in court. The background is the Capitol storm and attempted election fraud. He appears in person at the reading of the indictment.
Former US President Donald Trump wants to be present at the indictment against him in connection with attempted vote fraud and the attack on the Capitol. “I am now going to Washington, DC to be arrested for contesting a corrupt, rigged and stolen election,” the 77-year-old wrote on Truth Social, a platform he co-founded. The Republican presidential candidate left his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with a motorcade, as seen on television pictures.
From an airport in New Jersey, the 77-year-old will then fly to the US capital Washington, where the court hearing is pending. Previously, his trip to the US capital had not been officially confirmed – the ex-president could possibly have defended himself in court via video link.
Trump is scheduled to appear in court for the first time at 4 p.m. local time (10 p.m. CEST), where the allegations against him will be formally presented. Before Trump’s appearance in court, the authorities tightened security precautions. This was announced by the police of the capital Washington as well as the Secret Service responsible for the protection of current and former presidents. Additional fences were erected in front of the courthouse and some access roads were blocked off with snow ploughs.
Third indictment against Trump in four months
Trump is facing federal charges in connection with his supporters’ storming of the Capitol in January 2021 and attempted election fraud. In an indictment released on Tuesday, the leading Republican presidential hopeful is accused, among other things, of conspiring with six people to alter the outcome of the 2020 election. Trump knew his allegations of election fraud were untrue, it said. He repeated it nonetheless to create an intense nationwide mood of suspicion and anger, and to undermine public confidence in the election process.
Trump has consistently denied these and other allegations related to the storming of the Capitol. His campaign team drew parallels to events in Nazi Germany and other totalitarian states. He himself described the indictment on Truth Social as an attempt to torpedo his bid for the 2024 presidential election. The indictment is the second against the 77-year-old at the federal level and the third in four months.
Shortly before the court date, he wrote online: “I need an indictment to ensure my election!” According to polls, the businessman is clearly ahead in the Republican primary. His Republican rivals and other party leaders have either defended Trump or at least avoided direct criticism of him. Many Republicans speak of politically motivated procedures. However, the lawsuits could harm Trump in the actual election in early November 2024. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 37 percent of independent voters are less likely to vote for him because of the charges.
More lawsuits at the state level
Trump’s supporters stormed the seat of Congress on January 6, 2021 to prevent incumbent Joe Biden from winning the election. They attacked the police, MPs fled in fear of death. Five people died during or shortly after the incident and around 140 officers were injured. More than 1,000 people have now been charged in connection with the storming.
The indictment of Trump was decided by a grand jury at the instigation of Special Counsel Jack Smith. This was set up by the Justice Department, which reports to Democrat Biden as part of the executive branch. Trump was the first ex-president in history to be indicted by a grand jury in connection with the withholding of classified documents. Smith is also involved in this process. In addition to these federal lawsuits, Trump also faces state lawsuits in Georgia and New York.
The 77-year-old has repeatedly protested his innocence in all cases. None of the lawsuits will prevent Trump from continuing to campaign or returning to the White House if he wins. According to experts, even if he were found guilty and sentenced to prison, there would be no way to prevent Trump from taking the oath of office.