Pence says he 'can't defend' Trump but suggests politics still played a role in indictment
Former Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview published today that he “can’t defend” Trump against the allegations that he mishandled classified documents — but he also suggested that the charges were politically motivated.
Pence told The Wall Street Journal's editorial board that he has read the indictment and that the allegations against Trump “are very serious.” He added that the fact that many of the documents were related to “the defense capabilities of the United States and our allies, our nuclear program, to potential vulnerabilities of the United States and our allies” was something that “could compromise our national security and the safety of our armed forces.”
But Pence, who, like Trump, is running for the Republican nomination for president next year, added that Trump was “entitled to his day in court” and suggested that the charges were related, at least in part, to politics.
“It’s hard for me to believe that politics didn’t play some role in this decision,” Pence said.
“I think millions of Americans are deeply troubled by this indictment, particularly given the fact that Hillary Clinton engaged in very similar behavior in the 2016 campaign and did not face indictment,” Pence said.
There are key differences between Clinton's situation and Trump's, however, including intent.
Trump lands in New Jersey
Trump landed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey shortly before 8 p.m. in advance of remarks he is expected to deliver from his Bedminster golf club this evening.
The former president left Miami around 5 p.m., not long after he was arraigned in the city's federal courthouse.
What comes next in the classified docs case
The former president made a historic first appearance at a federal court today in Miami, but the case of The United States v. Donald Trump has a long arc.
How fast the case moves will depend in large part on one person: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was assigned to oversee the trial.
Cannon is in the driver’s seat when it comes to setting a discovery schedule for the Justice Department to turn over its evidence to Trump’s defense team, determining when pretrial motions are due, setting the terms of any protective order that would govern what Trump can post on social media about the case and scheduling a trial date.
In the short term, Cannon is likely to set what’s known as a “status conference” date to bring the lawyers into court to discuss what comes next. She can do that at any time. How she conducts the hearing will most likely set the tone for the rest of the trial and offer a glimpse of whether she, like special counsel Jack Smith, is prepared to make the lengthy process “speedy” or not.
Fulton County, Georgia, sends personnel to Miami and New York to 'gather intel on security operations'
Members of the Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office have traveled to Miami and New York to gather security intelligence ahead of potential charges against Trump in Atlanta this summer.
In a news release tonight, the sheriff’s office said it was “coordinating with local, state and federal agencies to ensure that our law enforcement community is equipped and prepared to protect the public."
“That coordination includes ... deputies traveling to New York and Miami to gather intel on security operations at court proceedings” for Trump, the statement added.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sent a note telling local law enforcement to prepare for potential charges this summer stemming from a probe into possible interference in the 2020 election by Trump and his allies.
Not all congressional Republicans jump to defend Trump
Although some Republican members of Congress, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, made waves yesterday defending Trump over his federal indictment, not every Republican lawmaker is quick to shield the former president.
McCarthy told reporters that “a bathroom door locks” when he was asked about allegations in the indictment that Trump stored classified documents in a bathroom at his Mar-a-Lago resort after his presidency.
But others, like Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., expressed concern over the indictment and the coming trial.
Man tackled after standing in front of Trump motorcade is questioned by authorities
The Secret Service and police in Miami are questioning the man who held a sign that read “Lock him up" and stood in front of Trump’s motorcade as the former president left the courthouse today.
The man, who was wearing a prison-striped outfit, was removed twice from the roadway, Secret Service officials said.
“On both occasions, the individual was removed swiftly from the roadway by Miami police. His actions had no impact on the security of the protective movement and we thank the [Miami Police Department] for their partnership," the Secret Service said in a statement.
A Miami police spokesperson said that the man, whose identity has not been released, was the only person detained today at the courthouse and that he has not been booked into jail.
‘That’s not a reference’ to Trump: Audience laughs after Biden anecdote about government docs
President Joe Biden, speaking this afternoon to State Department officials, drew laughter from the audience when he mentioned Trump after an anecdote about Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In describing the time he’d spent with Xi, Biden told the audience: “I had a lot of personal, just, one-on-one conversations. And we each had a simultaneous interpreter. I turned all my notes in.
“But that’s not a reference to the president, former president. But look, no, it really isn't,” Biden added.
The audience laughed.
As he walked out, Biden was asked by a reporter whether he would comment on Trump's arrest today. "No," Biden replied.
Cheers and jeers: Scenes from outside the Miami courthouse
MIAMI — The largely peaceful protests outside the Miami federal courthouse where Trump was arraigned today consisted of several slow hours in sweltering heat — followed by a flurry of chaos when an opponent of the ex-president took off running after his motorcade.
He didn’t get anywhere near Trump.
Police officers tackled the man, and Trump continued on to a famous local Cuban restaurant, Versailles, for what appeared to be a planned meeting with loyalists.
It was a jarring end to what had been a somewhat sedate show of support for the embattled ex-president, who pleaded not guilty to charges of mishandling classified documents after he left the White House.
Inside the courtroom: A dour Trump, a not guilty plea and an arraignment date for Nauta
Today's 47-minute court hearing in Miami kicked off at 2:55 p.m. ET. Seated at the defense table were Trump and his lawyers, Chris Kise and Todd Blanche, along with Nauta and his attorney Stanley Woodward. At the prosecution table were special counsel David Harbach, assistant special counsel Jay Bratt and federal prosecutor Julie Edelstein. Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the Trump investigation, sat with more than 40 reporters, court officers and Secret Service personnel in the packed courtroom.
Trump clasped his hands in front of him with a dour look on his face. Blanche and Kise told the court that they would be Trump's attorneys at trial and if there's an appeal. Trump then crossed his arms and kept them crossed for the entire hearing, appearing irritated to be there.
Blanche entered the not guilty plea, and attorneys on both sides hashed out details about the limited contact order list. Meanwhile, Woodward said he would represent Nauta — who still needs an attorney from the Southern District of Florida to represent him for his arraignment — only for the initial appearance. Nauta’s arraignment was scheduled for 9:45 a.m. June 27. He does not have to appear in court that day.