Trump in court to try to reverse 2020 election result

Former US President Donald Trump, who is leading an election campaign seeking to return to the White House, was summoned before a federal court in Washington on Thursday to face charges related to "criminal" maneuvers to overturn the results of the 2020 elections.

The 45-page indictment, published on Tuesday, notably points to the existence of a "criminal scheme" and accuses him of undermining the foundations of American democracy by attempting to alter the vote counting process for over 150 million Americans. These charges are unprecedented and considered the most serious because Trump was president at the time.

In contrast, the two previous criminal cases filed against him this year, one related to fraud in connection with the payment of hush money to a pornographic film actress, and the other concerning endangering national security by mishandling classified documents, pertain to the period prior to and after his presidency.

The court where the charges will be presented against Trump is located near the Capitol, the seat of the U.S. Congress, which hundreds of his supporters stormed to prevent the certification of his Democratic rival Joe Biden's victory on January 6, 2021.

Following the issuance of the new indictment against Trump, Special Investigator Jack Smith, who oversaw the investigation, stated that this attack was "encouraged by lies" spread by the accused for months, alleging widespread electoral fraud that supposedly favored Biden.

With just over 24 hours before the scheduled hearing at 4:00 PM on Thursday (20:00 GMT), cameras and satellite trucks from local and international media gathered in front of the court, attracting onlookers and tourists.

Smith stated on Tuesday that he wants a "speedy trial" in the case. Therefore, it is possible that the trial may take place amidst the 2024 presidential election campaign. Trump (77 years old) remains the frontrunner for winning the Republican Party's nomination in the primaries.

The consequences of this indictment on Trump's candidacy have not yet been determined. However, in the face of every new legal challenge, the former president is quick to talk about "political use" of the judiciary in an attempt to obstruct his 2024 candidacy. He continues to claim without evidence that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him.

A day after the publication of the new indictment, Trump wrote in capital letters in a post on his platform "Truth Social," "I have never received such support."

He believes that the ongoing lawsuits against him have "exposed to the world the corruption, scandals, and failures that have occurred in the United States during the last three years" under Biden's administration.

Despite the legal battles, the billionaire Republican retains a large part of his party's loyalty, dominating opinion polls for winning the Republican Party's nomination for the presidential elections. He is now ahead of his competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, by 37 points, according to a survey published on Monday by The New York Times/Siena College.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP