Fierce political debates on the eve of Trump's appearance before the court

2023-06-12 17:25:25, Kosova & Bota CNA

Fierce political debates on the eve of Trump's appearance before the court

Former President of the United States, Donald Trump

Former President of the United States, Donald Trump, is expected to appear in court on Tuesday on charges of unauthorized possession of classified documents. This is the first time in United States history that a former president has been indicted federally. The filing of the indictment has caused debates that continue to intensify, mainly along party lines.

Public debate is simmering ahead of Mr Trump's appearance in a Florida court on Tuesday over the latest indictment. He faces 37 charges, including allegations of intentionally withholding secret defense documents, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements.

"This is an extremely important development. It is the first time in American history that a former president has been federally indicted. From a legal perspective, the walls around former President Trump are closing," says James Sample, a professor of constitutional law at Hofstra University.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said during the show "This Week" of the ABC channel, that the accusations are attempts, as he said, to "delegitimize" the former president.

"The allegations of espionage will not change my support for Donald Trump. He is innocent until proven guilty. Most Republicans believe the law is now a political tool."

There is no evidence that the classified documents investigation, led by special counsel Jack Smith, is being used politically, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons told the ABC network.

"Even though President Trump went on the offensive last night, he attacked the Department of Justice, he called for defunding the FBI. I remain confident that he will face the due process of law that he deserves. Ultimately, a jury of American citizens will determine whether the charge is fair and whether or not he broke the law."

Mr. Trump announced on his Truth Social network about the accusations, writing in capital letters that he was innocent. No former US president has faced federal charges.

In an interview for the "Fox News" channel, former US Attorney General William Barr, who served under Mr. Trump, harshly criticized the reckless behavior of the former president, which prompted the investigation.

"War plans for an attack on another country, or Defense Department documents about our capabilities, are not Trump's personal documents. I think the government acted responsibly. They gave him every opportunity to submit these documents."

James Sample, a professor of constitutional law at Hofstra University, says that in the United States everyone is equal before the law.

"If you lied to federal prosecutors, it doesn't matter if you're the former president of the United States. Although this is a serious and grim case, it is actually an example of one of the positive things about America, accountability to the law no matter who you are."

For now, support for Trump is strong, even among Republicans who are challenging him for the party's nomination for the 2024 presidential race.

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

"Personally, I have no faith in those vague accusations. But if they are true, I think it reflects poor judgment. I'm skeptical that this is true, but at the end of the day, we can't confuse bad judgment with breaking the law."

If found guilty Mr Trump could face prison. But legal experts say that there is no law to stop him from running for president./ VOA