Summary of the day
Here’s a recap of today’s developments:
Donald Trump arrived in Florida ahead of an appearance in a Miami federal courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. The former president faces an array of charges over his retention of classified documents including national security information, under the Espionage Act and as laid out in the indictment dramatically unsealed on Friday.
Police officials in Miami sought to assure local residents they would safely handle any protests. “Make no mistake about it, we’re taking this event extremely seriously and there’s a potential for things to take a turn for the worse,” said the city’s police chief, Manuel Morales. He added: “We’re bringing enough resources to handle crowds, anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000.”
Miami’s mayor, Francis Suarez, said he was confident the city’s police will be able to handle the crowds and any protests if they occur. “I have full faith and confidence our police will have the right action plan and resources in place,” Suarez said during the news conference. “We are prepared for what will happen tomorrow.”
The Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, said Donald Trump was “incredibly reckless” with the country’s national security if allegations in the indictment are true. The latest comments mark a shift in tone for Haley, who just days ago tweeted that indicting a former president is “not how justice should be pursued in our country”.
A vast majority of Republicans believe federal charges against Trump are politically motivated, according to a new poll. The Reuters/Ipsos poll also found that the indictment did not appear to affect Trump’s standing in the GOP presidential nomination race, where he remains far ahead of his nearest rival, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis.
Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt became the first Republican governor to back Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign, although polls consistently show Trump has the most support among the party’s voters.
President Joe Biden underwent a root canal procedure, forcing him to postpone a meeting with Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. White House doctor Kevin O’Connor said the president complained of tooth pain on Sunday.
Updated
During his interview on the rightwing outlet Radio Libre, Trump says the allegations made against him in the federal indictment are “false”.
He says that under the Presidential Records Act, he is “allowed to do all of those things” – a claim that Trump and his lawyers have used in the past.
On Friday, the National Archives released a public statement rebuking these claims, while Jason R Baron, the former director of litigation at the National Archives, told CNN:
Only during his time in office does a president have the right to go through his records to separate what may be ‘personal records’ of his, from official records within the scope of the Presidential Records Act.
Updated
Trump is asked if he is being held to a “double standard” over his indictment compared to the investigation into Hillary Clinton for her handling of sensitive information (in which the state department concluded that it found “no persuasive evidence of systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information”).
Trump tells the reporter that her questions are “so incredible” and that he can see why she is so popular. He says:
My people said this is an incredible person and incredible woman. I can understand that very well.
He goes on to claim that there is a “two-tiered system of justice” where “instead of getting justice and instead of getting democracy and all the things that you want, it’s just the opposite”.
Updated
Donald Trump is being interviewed on the Spanish language conservative show Radio Libre 790 in Miami ahead of his arraignment tomorrow. He starts off by describing the indictment against him as a “witch-hunt” by the US justice department that has been “weaponised” by Joe Biden.
Trump says there has been an “incredible love fest” between the Hispanic community and himself and that he has “done a lot for everybody in that community”.
Updated
A vast majority of Republicans believe federal charges against Donald Trump are politically motivated, according to a new poll.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which ran from Friday to Monday, found that 81% of self-identified Republicans said the former president is being unfairly targeted and that politics was driving the case.
About 62% of respondents said it was believable that Trump illegally stored classified material at his Florida home, as alleged by prosecutors, according to the poll.
The poll also found that the indictment did not appear to affect Trump’s standing in the GOP presidential nomination race, with the former president far ahead of his nearest rival, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis.
Updated
As court officials set up barricades and police tape around the Miami courthouse where Donald Trump is due to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon, police officials sought to assure local residents they would safely handle any protests.
Miami police chief Manny Morales said the city was ready for protests of any size. “We’re taking this event extremely seriously,” he said.
“We’re bringing enough resources to handle crowds, anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000. We don’t expect any issues,” he added.
Updated
The Democratic Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, spoke about Donald Trump’s indictment in his remarks on the Senate floor. He said:
No one is above the law, including Donald Trump. This case must be allowed to play out through the legal process without outside political or ideological interference.
Schumer said he encouraged Trump’s supporters and critics to “maintain the peace and let the justice system do its work”.
My colleague Richard Luscombe is outside the courthouse in Miami, where he says there have been no signs of demonstrators so far.
Media gathering at Wilkie D Ferguson courthouse in Miami. No sign of rioters, protesters or even many members of the curious public yet. Strictly a media affair so far pic.twitter.com/hRt2f8Wyf1
— Richard Luscombe (@richlusc) June 12, 2023
Trump 'incredibly reckless with national security' if indictment true, says Haley
The Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, has said that if the indictment against Donald Trump is true, then the former president was “incredibly reckless” with the country’s national security.
Speaking on Fox News, Haley said that if Trump did store highly sensitive documents – including on US nuclear programmes, potential US military vulnerabilities, and plans for US retaliation in the event of an attack – then this “puts all of our military men and women in danger”.
Haley said:
If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security.
Her latest comments mark a change in tone for Haley, who previously served as UN ambassador under Trump. Just days ago she tweeted that indicting a former president is “not how justice should be pursued in our country”.
This is not how justice should be pursued in our country.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) June 9, 2023
The American people are exhausted by the prosecutorial overreach, double standards, and vendetta politics.
It’s time to move beyond the endless drama and distractions.
Updated
Public reaction to Trump’s scheduled arraignment at the Wilkie D Ferguson federal courthouse may be a window into the shifting political character of Miami and Trump’s strong support among Latino Americans.
The Associated Press reported that Alex Otaola, a Cuban-born YouTube personality who is running for Miami-Dade county mayor, has rallied followers to show up in support of the former president.
Otaola said in a YouTube clip:
Those of us who believe that America’s salvation only comes if Donald Trump is elected for a second term, we will gather on Tuesday.
Demonstrators and supporters of Donald Trump have been gathering outside the Trump National Doral Miami golf course to greet the former president ahead of his federal arraignment tomorrow.
Updated
The White House’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was earlier asked if President Joe Biden had read the indictment against Donald Trump.
My colleague David Smith reports that Jean-Pierre replied:
I’m just not going to comment.
Asked if Biden has read the indictment against Donald Trump, Jean-Pierre replies: "I'm just not going to comment."
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) June 12, 2023
House Republicans are meanwhile keeping up their defense of Donald Trump. Politico reports that Jim Jordan, the judiciary committee chair and close ally of the former president, is considering calling for special counsel Jack Smith to appear before his committee.
Appointed by attorney general Merrick Garland, Smith last week brought the federal charges against Trump over the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. The justice department has typically declined to provide information about ongoing investigations, and it’s unlikely to acquiesce to any request Jordan chooses to make:
Jim Jordan not ruling out calling Special Counsel Jack Smith to testify before his panel.
— Jordain Carney (@jordainc) June 12, 2023
Asked if he wants Smith to testify before his committee: “I think the American people probably do”
“We’re looking at all our options”
The Guardian’s Léonie Chao-Fong is now taking over the blog, and will keep you posted on the rest of the day’s news.
While House speaker Kevin McCarthy and other top Republicans have loudly decried the federal indictment of Donald Trump over the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, one of the biggest names on Capitol Hill is keeping quiet.
CNN reports that Mitch McConnell, the top-ranking Republican in the Senate, has refused to address the issue, despite the attempts of reporters:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has yet to respond to Trump's federal indictment in the classified documents probe, refused to answer reporters' questions about the charges as he walked on & off the Senate floor this afternoon, @NickyGRobertson reports from the Hill
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) June 12, 2023
It’s not too much of a surprise for the Kentuckian, who reportedly despises the former president for his role in the January 6 insurrection. It’s also worth remembering the influential role Trump played in selecting Republican candidates for Senate seats in last November’s midterm elections – most of which were defeated by Democrats, scuppering McConnell’s hopes of retaking control of the chamber.
At the White House press briefing, Karine Jean-Pierre said that Joe Biden’s root canal was successful, and “the president is doing just fine,” the Guardian’s David Smith reports:
Jean-Pierre on Biden's dental work: "I can confirm that the procedure has been successfully completed. The president is doing just fine."
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) June 12, 2023
Joe Biden has rescheduled his public events for Tuesday as he undergoes a root canal, Reuters reports.
Biden was expected to later today meet with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, as well as hold a reception for American diplomats. Vice-president Kamala Harris took his place in presiding over a celebration of college sports champions earlier today at the White House.
Donald Trump arrives in Florida, with legal team still in flux
Donald Trump has arrived in Florida ahead of his arraignment in Miami tomorrow, CNN reports, and with his legal team for the appearance still in flux:
As he seeks to finalize his legal team, Trump has just landed at Miami International Airport. He will appear in front of a federal judge there tomorrow, though the team that will handle this case may not be fully in place by then.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 12, 2023
Updated
At the ongoing White House press briefing, national security council spokesman John Kirby was asked about the national security implications of the documents found in Donald Trump’s possession at Mar-a-Lago.
His response amounted to an elaborate “no comment”.
“I think the office of the director of national intelligence has already spoken to the fact that they were conducting a national security assessment, and I would refer you to them. I don’t have any update on that one way or the other,” Kirby responded.
After the indictment was unsealed on Friday, the Secret Service released a statement that essentially said Donald Trump’s arraignment would be handled like any other event he attends:
Statement on upcoming Secret Service protective visit to Miami, Florida pic.twitter.com/ujtcfAXy2M
— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) June 9, 2023
Mayor Francis Suarez returned to the podium to say that Miami will draw on its experience from the protests that followed George Floyd’s death in 2020 during Donald Trump’s arraignment tomorrow.
“During the George Floyd protest, there were 10s of 1,000s or 1,000s of people on our streets in Miami. We were prepared. I think we were a model for how to deal with those protests in the country,” Suarez said.
“And I have full faith and confidence that our department, as the chief just said, that has dealt with many, many kinds of protests that are very, very large, we’ll have the right action plan and we’ll have the right resources in place in the right place to make sure that there are no incidents.”
Miami police chief says force can handle crowd of up to 50,000
Up next is Miami police chief Manny Morales, who repeated that the city is ready for protests of any size.
“We’re taking this event extremely seriously. We know that there is a potential of things taking a turn for the worst, but that’s not the Miami way,” Morales said.
“We’re bringing enough resources to handle crowds, anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000. We don’t expect any issues,” he continued.
Updated
Florida mayor Francis Suarez starts the news conference by saying that preparations have already began for Trump’s appearance in federal court tomorrow.
He says officials will “make sure everyone has the right to peacefully express themselves and exercise their right to protest”.
Updated
Miami officials to hold a news conference on Trump arraignment
Miami officials are due to hold a news conference regarding preparations and security measures for Donald Trump’s arraignment in federal court on Tuesday.
The press conference is scheduled to begin at 2pm EST. We’ll be following it live on the blog.
Updated
House speaker Kevin McCarthy has been speaking with reporters for the first time since news of Donald Trump’s indictment, and was asked if it was a “good look” for the former president to have allegedly stored boxes of classified material in a bathroom.
McCarthy replied:
I don’t know. Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.
Q: "Was that a good look for the former president to have boxes in a bathroom?"
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) June 12, 2023
Kevin McCarthy: "I don't know. Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks." pic.twitter.com/aEmOfz77kX
According to the 49-page federal indictment unsealed Friday, the former president kept boxes of documents in various locations at his Mar-a-Lago estate, including an office space, his bedroom, a storage room, a bathroom, a ballroom and in the shower.
Updated
Donald Trump has vowed to appoint “a real special ‘prosecutor’” to “go after” Joe Biden and his family if he wins re-election next year.
In an all-caps post on Truth Social, Trump said:
Now that the ‘seal’ is broken, in addition to closing the border & removing all of the ‘criminal’ elements that have illegally invaded our country, making America energy independent, & even dominant again, & immediately ending the war between Russia & Ukraine, I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself!
Updated
The day so far
Donald Trump is getting ready for his arraignment on federal charges in Miami tomorrow. The former president has spent today thus far attacking his opponents, and looking for attorneys to represent him in what will be the second time this year he has had to appear in court to answer to criminal charges. Meanwhile in Washington, Joe Biden is undergoing a root canal, but is still expected to meet with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg this afternoon.
Here’s what else is going on today:
Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt endorsed Ron DeSantis for president, drawing Trump’s ire.
With much of the American news media focused on Miami’s federal courthouse tomorrow ahead of Trump’s appearance, no-name presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would hold a press conference in the morning, before the former president’s appearance.
Tucker Carlson is back on Twitter, but Fox News is not having it, and wants him off the air.
One of Donald Trump’s biggest allies on the airwaves was Tucker Carlson, but his reign ended when Fox News cancelled his show in April. Carlson has reemerged with a Twitter broadcast that he says will be his new project, but as the Guardian’s Martin Pengelly reports, Fox is not pleased:
Tucker Carlson’s lawyer says he “will not be silenced by anyone” after it was reported that Fox News had sent the primetime host it fired a letter demanding he cease and desist presenting a new show on Twitter.
“Doubling down on the most catastrophic programming decision in the history of the cable news industry, Fox is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election,” lawyer Harmeet Dhillon told Axios, which first reported the Fox letter.
“Tucker will not be silenced by anyone … He is a singularly important voice on matters of public interest in our country, and will remain so.”
Dhillon is a prominent Republican attorney who recently failed in an attempt to lead the GOP national committee.
Fox fired Carlson in April, shortly after reaching a $787.5m settlement in a defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems over the broadcast of Donald Trump’s lies about electoral fraud in his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden.
Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is nowhere in the polls despite a well-funded campaign and slew of media appearances, but he’s looking to make the most of Donald Trump’s arraignment tomorrow.
He just announced that he would hold an event outside the Miami courthouse where Trump will appear at 10.30am Tuesday:
My campaign just filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) demand to uncover *exactly* what the White House communicated to Merrick Garland & Jack Smith about the unprecedented indictment of a former U.S. President & Biden’s disfavored opponent in this election. Every American… pic.twitter.com/bnwmn6jGYZ
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) June 12, 2023
It’s not a bad bet for the biotech entrepreneur’s quest to boost his candidacy, considering that Trump’s court appearance will undoubtedly be the biggest news of tomorrow, and the courthouse surrounded by reporters.
Here’s Donald Trump’s convoy as it makes its way from his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club to the airport, where the former president plans to fly to Florida ahead of tomorrow’s arraignment:
Updated
The White House said Joe Biden will not be under anesthesia during his root canal today, meaning the 25th amendment won’t be invoked.
Ratified in 1967, the amendment is one of the most recent additions to the constitution, and outlines the procedure for the vice-president to temporarily assume the president’s duties at the chief executive’s request. In November 2021, Biden used its authority to hand power to Kamala Harris while he underwent a colonoscopy.
Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt became the first Republican governor to back Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign, even though polls consistently show Donald Trump has the most support among the party’s voters.
Here’s more from Stitt on why he chose to throw his support behind Florida governor DeSantis, who has become a prime target for Trump’s vitriol ever since announcing his campaign last month:
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) explains his decision to endorse 2024 GOP presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL):
— The Recount (@therecount) June 12, 2023
“I believe there’s a lot of momentum that’s behind him right now. I saw it on the ground in Oklahoma … We need someone who can win.” pic.twitter.com/wdip3Xb0kJ
Trump meeting lawyers, planning entrance ahead of Tuesday arraignment
The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reports that Donald Trump is spending today assembling his legal team ahead of his Tuesday arraignment in Miami, where he’ll enter the courthouse through a side door.
Here’s more from Hugo:
New: Trump expected to leave Bedminster shortly to get to Florida this afternoon. He’s spending the day meeting potential lawyers — though David Markus is said to have already turned him down. Another said to be meeting with Trump is Ben Kuehne, who has previously been indicted.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) June 12, 2023
As of now, per ppl familiar, Trump expected to do his arraignment with Todd Blanche and Chris Kise — who is barred in Southern District of Florida — but if he retains new counsel today, they could also appear. For the arraignment, Trump will enter thru sally port, not main door.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) June 12, 2023
Joe Biden will soon be doing one of the most unpleasant things a person can do: enduring a root canal.
In a just-released letter from White House doctor Kevin O’Connor, the president is revealed to have complained of tooth pain on Sunday, necessitating a root canal that will take place today.
“Our Presidential Dental Team from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was able to perform an examination, to include x-rays, in the White House Dental Operatory. They determined that endodontic treatment (root canal) was most appropriate. Initial root canal procedure was performed at the time, with a plan for specialized endodontal follow up in the near future. The President tolerated the procedure well. There were no complications,” O’Connor writes.
“He is experiencing further discomfort this morning, which was anticipated. The endodontal specialty team from Walter Reed will complete the President’s root canal today, at the White House.”
The White House just pushed its press briefing back to 2.15pm, so perhaps we’ll hear more about the procedure then.
Trump attacks critics in social media rant ahead of day in court
Donald Trump is back at it with as much venom as ever on Truth Social this morning.
Here he is with his usual rhetoric, in a post from about an hour ago:
Getting ready to head down to Doral in Miami. We must all be STRONG and DEFEAT the Communists, Marxists, and Radical Left Lunatics that are systematically destroying our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
And taking out his anger on Kevin Stitt, the Oklahoma governor who over the weekend endorsed Trump’s rival Ron DeSantis for president:
Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, who I didn’t know very well, called me before his last election to say he was in BIG trouble and very much needed my Endorsement. I LOVE Oklahoma & won 76 out of 76 Districts, something that never happened before. Ronald Reagan was next with 56. Anyway, I gave him my endorsement, he immediately went way up, and won. Now, despite the fact that DeSanctimonious is losing to Biden, & me, Stitt just endorsed him. Wow! He disliked “the Indians” & my great Senate pick!
Updated
The scene of the action tomorrow will be Miami’s Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr US courthouse, where photographers have captured a placid scene over the last few days.
Including a crowing rooster:
RIGHT NOW | A rooster is crowing outside the Miami federal courthouse where Donald Trump is set to be arraigned tomorrow @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/rCDvIJHzA0
— Julia Bagg (@JuliaNBC6) June 12, 2023
Expect that atmosphere to change once Donald Trump shows up.
One of the most incendiary statements following Donald Trump’s federal indictment came from Kari Lake, the Arizona gubernatorial candidate who famously refused to concede her election loss last November. A top Democrat in the state warns there’s nothing funny about her comments, the Guardian’s Martin Pengelly reports:
The Arizona Republican Kari Lake’s vow of armed resistance over Donald Trump’s indictment for retaining classified records “threatens the very core of our democracy”, an Arizonan Democratic congressman said.
Ruben Gallego is running to replace the former Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in the US Senate next year.
He said: “I know this language isn’t just hyperbole – it’s dangerous and it threatens the very core of our democracy.”
The 38-count federal indictment against Trump was unsealed Friday. He is due to appear in court in Florida on Tuesday. Jack Smith, the special counsel, told reporters he would “seek a speedy trial”.
Donald Trump’s allies spent the weekend railing against the federal charges announced against the former president, raising fears of a repeat of the violence that accompanied his departure from the White House, the Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
Belligerent and conspiracy-laden rhetoric from high-profile Republican backers of Donald Trump has heightened fears that the former US president’s campaign against his legal troubles could trigger political violence.
Fewer than 24 hours after Donald Trump was indicted, Arizona congressman Andy Biggs went on Twitter and used violent language to call for retribution. “We have now reached a war phase,” he said. “An eye for an eye.”
Clay Higgins, another Republican congressman from Louisiana, gave militaristic instructions to his followers. “This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors. Hold. rPOTUS has this,” he tweeted, using an abbreviation to refer to Trump as the real president.
Mugshots, fingerprints and handcuffs: the big questions ahead of Trump's Miami arraignment
Donald Trump’s arraignment on charges related to hoarding secret government documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort is set for 3pm in Miami tomorrow, but many details of the appearance are currently unclear.
Federal defendants typically have mugshots and fingerprints taken at their initial court dates, and many are handcuffed. But when Trump appeared at a Manhattan courthouse in April to answer an indictment brought by district attorney Alvin Bragg for allegedly falsifying business records, only his fingerprints were recorded. He was not handcuffed, and, despite what his campaign and other backers want you to believe, no mugshot was taken.
So the big question of today is whether special counsel Jack Smith and his team of federal prosecutors will accord Trump the same arrangements. We’ll keep an eye out for more about that.
After weekend of anger, Trump plans defense ahead of Tuesday arraignment
Good morning, US politics blog readers. After a weekend spent raging about last week’s federal indictment both in person and on his Truth social account, Donald Trump will be back in Florida today to prepare for his arraignment in Miami on Tuesday. There, he’s set to personally answer the federal charges related to keeping a trove of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, the gravest legal threat the former president has yet faced. He clearly has no intention of showing up to the courthouse alone, telling his supporters “SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!!” in a Friday evening post that wasn’t too far off in tone from the “Be there, will be wild!” message he sent out days before the January 6 insurrection. Today may well be the calm before the Tuesday storm, but there should be plenty of news about the logistics of Trump’s court appearance, his second as a defendant after being indicted by Manhattan’s district attorney back in March.
Here’s what else is going on today:
Joe Biden has a busy day at the White House, including a meeting with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg at 3.15pm eastern time, as well as celebrating College Athlete Day at 11.30am. Will he seize the occasion to comment on the charges against Trump? Probably not, but you can bet the White House press corps will be asking him about it.
For days, the House of Representatives has been paralyzed by a revolt led by rightwing Republicans. Expect speaker Kevin McCarthy and his deputies to take another shot today at breaking the deadlock.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters at 1pm.
