Trump indicted on federal charges in classified documents investigation

Stephanie Sy:

I'm Stephanie Sy. Welcome to the NewsHour. We have major breaking news to report. News hour has confirmed that former president Donald Trump has been indicted. This makes him the first former U.S. president in history to be indicted on federal charges. In a post on Truth, Social, Trump said he had been indicted, quote, over what he called the boxes hoax. That is a reference to the boxes found at his Mar a Lago estate by the FBI last August, which contained classified materials. The former president goes on to say that he has been summoned to appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday at 3 p.m.. For more on this developing story. I'm joined by NewsHour's White House correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez. Laura, good evening. I know that the details are still sketchy, that the indictment is still under seal. But what is being reported so far?

Laura Barron-Lopez:

So, Stephanie, right now, the special counsel's office has not confirmed this indictment. We should know that. Note that. And they told me not to expect anything from them tonight. But what news hour has confirmed from a source with direct knowledge is that the former president has been instructed to go to my to a Miami courthouse tomorrow, on Tuesday, excuse me, at 3 p.m.. And we don't have we have not confirmed all of the specific charges that are related to this. But multiple outlets are saying that the president is being charged with seven counts and that they are related to his retention of classified documents. We're talking about the willful retention of national defense documents. Now, that's related to the Espionage Act, Stephanie. And I spoke to a former Pentagon special counsel just now who said that the reason those charges are being brought in Florida is multiple outlets are reporting rather than in D.C. is because they're focusing on the retention, not the removal of these classified documents, but the retention also potentially in these charges based on reports, is obstruction of justice. That's knowingly holding on to a record that has been subpoenaed by the federal government and then refusing to turn it over. That's what that's about, because the president was subpoenaed, the former president was subpoenaed last year by the Justice Department to for them to regain the obtain these documents back, bring them back from Mar a Lago, and they're potentially charging him with obstruction of justice. All right.

Stephanie Sy:

Because there are there are federal laws about what you're supposed to do with classified documents after you leave the White House. Right. We have been reporting on the special counsel's investigation ramping up, especially in recent days in paneling a special grand jury in Miami, in Florida, not just in Washington, D.C.. Remind us what other significant moments led up to this indictment.

Laura Barron-Lopez:

Well, there's been a lot of big moments, Stephanie, since summer of last year, starting with the fact that the former president himself was the person that announced that the FBI was searching his home, was searching his Mar a Lago home for these classified documents. We learned that first from the former president and all along the way, the refusal to hand them over the rejection of a subpoena when it was when when the DOJ issued that, and then also an affidavit that was released about last September, which I was talking to legal experts tonight, and in particular this former special counsel from the Pentagon, who said if you look at that affidavit from last September, that that really shows you what it looks like. The potential charges based on the reports that we're seeing are laying out. They weren't surprised by anything that they were seeing coming out tonight.

Stephanie Sy:

Yeah, well, this folks on the right, politicians are already saying this is a political prosecution. How momentous is this indictment, Laura, and what does it mean for Trump's presidential campaign?

Laura Barron-Lopez:

It's certainly an unprecedented moment right now in American history that a former president could potentially be indicted for a second time, this time by the federal government. And now, though, Stephanie, this does not stop him from continuing his run for his reelection bid, his run for the presidency. This does not stop him, even if he's convicted and if even if he were to potentially face prison time. Now, a lot of legal experts doubt that he will. But this does not stop him at all from running and potentially serving in the presidency again.

Stephanie Sy:

Yeah, And in fact, the Trump campaign has already sent out a fundraising email surrounding the indictment. Correspondent Laura Baron Lopez. Thank you so much for joining us on News Hour West. Laura We'll have much more detail and analysis on the federal indictment of President Donald Trump on the NewsHour tomorrow.