Only a few hours had passed since former President Donald Trump was in a Manhattan courtroom, stern-faced, pleading not guilty before a judge to 34 felony criminal charges. Yet in the safety of his home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Tuesday night, surrounded by supporters and family, his focus was on the dozens of charges that could come next.
Trump offered a lengthy rebuttal to a series of ongoing investigations into his personal conduct and time as president, arguing that they collectively represent a legal overreach meant to discredit a political opponent.
“I never thought anything like this could happen in America,” Trump said. “The only crime that I’ve committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”
