Former President Trump cast his "sham" federal indictment as "election interference" by the Biden administration, slamming it as a "the most heinous abuse of power in the history of our country."
Trump, the current 2024 frontrunner, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Miami, Florida Tuesday to 37 federal felony counts stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump, making remarks Tuesday night from his property Trump National Gold Club Bedminster, slammed Smith as a "deranged lunatic," and slammed President Biden for having "his top political opponent arrested and charged."
Former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, after pleading not guilty in a Miami courtroom earlier in the day to dozens of felony counts that he hoarded classified documents and refused government demands to give them back. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Trump said President Biden will "forever be remembered as not only the most corrupt president in the history of our country, but perhaps more importantly, the president, together with the band of his closest thugs, misfits and Marxists trying to destroy American democracy, channeling real anger and charging the President of the United States under the Espionage Act of 1917."
Trump was, in part, charged with willful retention of national defense information—charges that fall under the Espionage Act.
"The Espionage Act has been used to refer to traitors and spies," Trump said. "It has nothing to do with a former president legally keeping his own documents."
Trump defended himself, saying it is, instead, the Presidential Records Act that applies to his case.
Trump said he is being threatened with 400 years in prison for "possessing presidential papers, which just about every other president has done."
"The Presidential Records Act does not confer any mandate, duty or even discretional authority on the archivist to classify records under the statute," Trump said. "This responsibility is left solely to the President of the United States—so that’s the decision taken here."
Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, after pleading not guilty in a Miami courtroom earlier in the day to dozens of felony counts that he hoarded classified documents and refused government demands to give them back. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
He added: "In other words, whatever documents the president decides tot are with him, he has the right to do so—it’s an absolute right. This is the law."
Trump slammed Biden—who is under special counsel investigation for his alleged improper retention of classified records—and Hillary Clinton, pointing to her destruction of classified emails.
"Hillary Clinton broke the law and she didn't get indicted," Trump said. "Joe Biden broke the law, and in many other ways, we're finding out, and so far has not gotten indicted."
He added: "I did everything right and they indicted me."
Trump went on to point to former President Bill Clinton, saying he "lost the nuclear codes and absolutely nothing was done and lost the nuclear codes."
Trump pointed to former President George W Bush, saying his White House "lost 22 million emails," and said the National Archives "cannot ensure a complete transfer of any of the Bush records."
"The horrific violations of my rights by Crooked Joe Biden's weaponized department of Injustice," Trump said.
Shifting back to Special Counsel Jack Smith, Trump called him a "thug."
"I've named him deranged Jack Smith," he said. "He does political hit jobs…He looks like a thug."
Trump went on to slam Smith as a "raging and uncontrolled Trump hater."