Former President Donald Trump used a speech to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate hours after being arraigned in a New York courtroom to lash out at New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg and other prosecutors who are investigating him.
“I never imagined anything like this could happen in America,” Trump told the crowd in Palm Beach, Fla. In the New York case, Trump faces 34 felony counts, making him the first former president to face criminal charges.
Trump’s 27-minute speech amounted to a presidential campaign reboot, while also bracing voters for the possibility that he could be indicted in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. cases.
The attacks on Bragg and other prosecutors came after a New York judge warned Trump not to use language that could incite threats and violence against public officials.
What’s next
Trump is not only the first former president to be indicted; he is also the first former president to run for office again while awaiting trial, which could be a lengthy process with multiple trials.
Trump’s next scheduled court appearance in New York is on December 4. That means a trial could begin in January, on the eve of the Republican presidential nomination process in 2024.
Trump could be dealing with multiple court cases by then.
Prosecutors in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. are still looking into the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his retention of classified documents after leaving office, and his supporters’ insurgency on January 6, 2021.
The Mar-a-Lago speech
Trump described the various investigations as attempts to derail his presidential campaign during his remarks at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump made false claims about the investigations and claimed that he is being singled out for political reasons without providing evidence.
He saved his venom for Bragg, who was in charge of the investigation. Trump went after Bragg’s family, specifically his wife and daughter. At one point, Trump referred to Bragg as “a local failed district attorney” who had reservations about prosecuting a former president.
Trump also slammed Atlanta prosecutor Fani Willis and Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is in charge of the document and Jan. 6 investigations.
From inflation to Russia policy, the speech included standard campaign jabs at President Joe Biden and his administration.
Trump backers cheer
Members of Mar-a-Lago and Trump supporters cheered and clapped frequently as the ex-president attacked prosecutors and political opponents.
The standard campaign rally soundtrack was played before Trump’s arrival, from Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” to Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA.”
Among those in attendance were Trump employees such as former White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, who blasted Bragg for having a “flimsy” case. “What he’s trying to do is smear Donald Trump’s name while also attacking his campaign.”
Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” Bragg said in a written statement.
Republicans are supportive
The indictment has been condemned by Trump’s potential opponents in 2024.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, who is considering a presidential run, called the New York case a “political charade” and a “travesty.”
Even Republicans who have criticized Trump, such as Utah U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, have criticized the state indictment, which links hush money to illegal campaign contributions under federal campaign finance laws.
“The prosecutor’s overreach establishes a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and erodes public trust in our justice system,” Romney, the Republican nominee for president in 2012, said.
Trump and his supporters attempted to use the arraignment to raise campaign funds throughout the day, from his start at Trump Tower in Manhattan to his speech at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
One pitch offered donors t-shirts imprinted with a Trump mug shot and the words “NOT GUILTY.”
Polls also show that many Americans believe the case is legitimate, implying that Trump would face difficulties in a general election with independent and non-party voters. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted over the weekend, 50% of Americans believe the charges against Trump are “serious.”
According to Bradley P. Moss, a national security attorney, the New York case “will without a doubt provide a short-term boost to Mr. Trump in the polls for the Republican nomination.”
However, the primaries do not begin until early next year, and Trump could face additional indictments.
“As actual primary voters begin to cast ballots, the weight of these criminal matters is likely to cause significant headwinds for the former president,” Moss said.
‘Professional defendant’?
Republicans across the country are watching to see if this is just a blip or if Trump can ride this wave of resentment. Some believe that the prospect of a lengthy trial – or trials if he is indicted in other cases – will gradually sap Trump and the Republican Party’s political strength.
Former Republican and Claremont McKenna College professor of government Jack Pitney predicted that Trump’s “hard core” Republican supporters “will keep digging in.”
Others may try to flee.
“His escalating legal problems won’t help anyone else,” Pitney said. “‘Professional Defendant’ is not an appealing job title to the general public.”
