MIAMI -- Follow along for live updates on former President Donald Trump, who is set to make his first court appearance Tuesday after being indicted on 37 charges related to the mishandling classified documents. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president faces criminal charges by the federal government he once oversaw.
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NO TRUMP MUGSHOT EXPECTED
Trump is not expected to have a mugshot taken when he surrenders to authorities in federal court in Miami to face charges related to mishandling classified documents.
That’s according to a person familiar with negotiations surrounding the case who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the details of the proceedings.
Having no picture taken is similar to Trump’s recent appearance in court in New York on a separate case involving hush money payments, when the former president also avoided having his mug shot taken.
— Jill Colvin
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What to know:
— What to expect when Trump appears in federal court to face charges
— A timeline of events leading to Trump’s indictment in the classified documents case
— Trump’s GOP defenders in Congress leap into action after months of preparation
— A look at the charges, the special counsel’s investigation and what’s next
— Trump faces a string of inquiries in various states and venues as he campaigns for a return to the White House
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MEDIA OUTNUMBERS TRUMP SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE
Security was tight outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson federal courthouse Tuesday ahead of the former president’s court appearance.
But Trump supporters were noticeably few hours before the appearance — far outnumbered by the hundreds of journalists from the U.S. and around the world who have converged on downtown Miami for the historic occasion.
That recalled the scene in New York, where Trump was arraigned in April on a separate criminal case involving hush money he’s accused of paying during the 2016 presidential campaign. Then, there were far more reporters than demonstrators for and against the former president.
Among those who arrived early Tuesday in Miami were father and son Florencio and Kevin Rodriguez, who came to the U.S. 15 years ago as asylum seekers fleeing Cuba. Wearing a shirt bearing the slogan “Jesus is my savior, Trump my president,” the younger Rodriguez, Kevin, said it is possible that Trump is guilty of illegally retaining classified documents.
But he questioned the fairness of the proceedings in light of what he said was prosecutors’ lax attitude toward President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They’ve both been accused of mishandling classified intelligence and not appeared in court, though they also have not faced accusations of intentionally hiding their actions, like Trump has.
“Even if he’s guilty, we will still support him,” Rodriguez said, noting the Trump administration’s staunch opposition to Cuba’s government, “We never abandon our amigos — those who love this country and our liberty.”
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TRUMP SUPPORTERS, DETRACTORS GATHER OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE
Trump wasn’t due in court in Miami for hours, but both his supporters and detractors were already gathering outside.
Jack Kaplan said he drove two hours from Fort Pierce, where the judge assigned to the case is based, to counter the large number of Trump supporters who had already started showing up outside the federal courthouse in Miami.
Toting a copy of the indictment affixed to a clipboard and a sign reading “Trump is Toast,” the 68-year-old retired car dealer said he’ll celebrate with a $1,400 bottle of Mouton Rothschild red wine if the former president goes to prison.
“I’ve already get the bottle sitting in my wine cooler,” said Kaplan as a Trump supporter carrying a sign reading “Keep America Great” walked by coolly. “I’m going to have a big party.”
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TRUMP TO APPEAR IN COURT
Trump will make his first court appearance to answer for a federal indictment involving 37 felony counts related to hoarding top secret government documents, boastfully displaying them to visitors and trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.
The former president will be arraigned in federal court in Miami, allowing him to hear prosecutors' charges that he jeopardized national security by mishandling classified information.
The case against him is historic but doesn't prohibit Trump from a third run at the presidency, and he urged his supporters to rally outside the courthouse.
Some had already begun to arrive hours before his late afternoon appearance was scheduled to start. Trump also planned to fly to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to give remarks this evening.
The former president was arrested and appeared in court in New York in April as part of separate criminal case involving hush money that he is accused of paying to cover up an extramarital affair during the 2016 presidential election. Trump is facing additional potential charges in Georgia and Washington.
But he faces a potential yearslong prison sentence in the document case. It also has stood out for both the apparent volume of evidence amassed by prosecutors and the severity of the allegations.
Trump’s campaign has intensified his fundraising efforts in the meantime, including an email Tuesday morning with the subject line: “My last email before my arraignment.”
