Trump arraignment: ‘Suspicious package’ found outside Miami court prompts police lockdown
Donald Trump will be arraigned today on 37 charges over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House, as he becomes the first current or former US president to ever face federal criminal charges.
The former president will appear for his arraignment at a federal court in the Southern District of Florida at 3pm ET, where he has vowed to plead not guilty to all charges.
“I’ll just say ‘not guilty.’ I didn’t do anything wrong,” he told Boston radio show WRKO on Monday.
Despite his confidence, The Independent exclusively revealed that Mr Trump was struggling to find attorneys willing to defend him in Florida.
Miami officials meanwhile are bracing for protests outside the courthouse with Mayor Francis Suarez saying at a press conference that the city is enacting plans to “make sure that everyone has a right to peacefully express themselves and exercise their constitutional rights” in “an obviously peaceful manner”.
Several supporters have voiced violent rhetoric online and MAGA loyalists Kari Lake and Laura Loomer, the Proud Boys and at least one Capitol rioter (named Baked Alaska) are expected to descend on Miami in support of the former president.
VOICES: With Trump on trial, an outrageous president sets another unwelcome precedent
VOICES “Soon Donald Trump will visit a court in Miami, and become the first president or former president to be arraigned on federal criminal charges. A historic moment, obviously, and not in a good way.
Though proud Americans rightly resent foreigners sneering at their nation, they should understand, respectfully, that the rest of the world frets at what happens in the US precisely because it has done so much for humanity and remains the last great hope for freedom and democracy. Just ask the Ukrainians. It’s not great to see a former president being accused of being careless with security secrets. But we are where we are, as they say.”
Sean O’Grady writes for Independent Premium
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 17:30
In Photos: Trump supporters show up outside Miami courthouse ahead of arraignment
Trump supporter Gregg Donvan stands outside the the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Federal Courthouse
(Getty Images)
Blacks For Trump supporters stand outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Federal Courthouse where former President Donald Trump is set to appear in front of a judge
(Getty Images)
A Trump supporter shows his support in front of the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse
(AFP via Getty Images)
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 17:15
Trump soars ahead of DeSantis in latest poll on eve of federal indictment
Donald Trump has extended his commanding lead over Florida governor Ron DeSantis in the latest Republican presidential primary poll.
The YouGov-CBS News poll showed the former president leading Mr DeSantis by 61 per cent to 23 per cent among likely GOP voters, with Tim Scott, Mike Pence and Nikki Haley all polling in low single digits.
The survey, conducted between 7 and 10 June, found no evidence that the former president’s indictment by a Florida grand jury on 37 federal charges of mishandling classified information had harmed his prospects among Republicans.
In fact, 14 per cent of respondents said that the criminal indictment had changed their view of Mr Trump for the better, and 61 per cent said it hadn’t changed their opinion. Seven per cent said they were less likely to vote for Mr Trump, and nearly one in five said it would depend on further developments.
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 17:00
Police give all-clear for area of Miami courthouse on lockdown
Miami police responded to reports of a ‘suspicious package’ in front of the federal courthouse where former president Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned at 3pm and gave an “all-clear.”
Miami Police investigate a suspicious item near the media area outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Federal Courthouse where former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be arraigned later in the day
(Getty)
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 16:55
WATCH: ‘Suspicious package’ found outside Miami court prompts police lockdown
Trump arraignment: ‘Suspicious package’ found outside Miami court prompts police lockdown
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 16:50
Miami Police lock down area outside Trump arraignment courthouse over ‘suspicious package’
Miami Police have blocked off a plaza in front of the Miami courthouse where former President Donald Trump is set to be arraigned.
Andrew Feinberg and Gustaf Kilander report:
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 16:40
Ivanka Trump stays silent on father’s federal arraignment – and posts family photos without him
Ivanka Trump has remained notably silent about her father’s latest criminal indictment – as the former president prepares to be arrested and arraigned on a slew of 37 federal criminal charges.
Five days after a grand jury returned an indictment against Donald Trump, his daughter and former Trump administration senior adviser is yet to make any public statements acknowledging the scandal.
Yet, despite her silence over her father’s legal troubles, Ivanka took to Instagram on the eve of his arraignment on Tuesday to celebrate her daughter’s bat mitzvah with her family.
Mr Trump appeared to be notably absent from the family’s weekend festivities.
Ivanka posted a carousel of 10 photos commemorating daughter Arabella Kushner’s special day featuring most of the Trump clan.
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 16:30
Police block off a small area in front of Miami courthouse due to ‘suspicious package’
Law enforcement in Miami has sectioned off a small area in front of the federal courthouse where Donald Trump is set to appear for his arraignment at 3pm due to a possible “suspicious package.”
The Independent’s White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports live:
“What you’re seeing here is a police line that’s moved about 50 yards back from where we were previously.
Officers are saying there’s a suspicious package, possibly I’ve heard in a news van parked right in front of the courthouse.”
Miami police clear-out section in front of courthouse due to an unknown but suspicious object
(Andrew Feinberg / The Independent)
“So they cleared out this whole, this whole plaza where all of the television press have been set up and we’re holding while they check the package out, awaiting what I’m guessing will be a dog of some sort to sniff the package.”
Police put tape up near an area in front of the courthouse where an unknown, but suspicious, object may be
(Andrew Feinberg / The Independent)
Ariana Baio13 June 2023 16:13
Police monitoring online far-right threats and pro-Trump protests
Law enforcement agencies and extremism researchers are closely monitoring online threats and escalating rhetoric surrounding Donald Trump’s arraignment as the former president formally faces federal criminal charges in a sweeping indictment connected to his possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Oliver O’Connell13 June 2023 16:10
