Report: Donald Trump’s Pals Think He’s About to be Indicted…Again

Last April, Donald Trump made history when he became the first former US president ever to be charged with a crime after leaving office. Now, he may make history again, with a fresh indictment courtesy of the federal government. And what an absolute travesty that would be!

The Wall Street Journal reports that special counsel Jack Smith “has all but finished obtaining testimony and other evidence in his criminal investigation into whether former President Donald Trump mishandled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort,” according to sources familiar with the matter. While the Journal could not determine if Smith had made a decision to charge the ex-president, or if he’d made a recommendation to Attorney General Merrick Garland—who gets the final say—some of Trump’s close allies are said to be “bracing for his indictment.” (Naturally, Team Trump plans to fundraise off of any potential prosecution, as it did following charges from the Manhattan district attorney’s office.)

According to the Journal, attorneys working for Smith have, in recent weeks, “completed interviews with nearly every employee at Trump’s Florida home, from top political aides to maids and maintenance staff,” with prosecutors reportedly “press[ing] witnesses—some in multiple rounds of testimony—on questions that appeared to home in on specific elements Smith’s team would need to show to prove a crime, including those that speak to Trump’s intentions.” Last month, it emerged that Smith had uncovered “significant” evidence that Trump had obstructed justice. And on Monday, The Guardian reported that Trump attorney Evan Corcoran had handed over dozens of pages of notes, which showed, among other things, that Corcoran advised the ex-president against retaining any government documents after his May subpoenaed was issued. (Corcoran’s notes also reportedly described “Trump’s facial expressions and reactions whenever they discussed the subpoena.”) Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the National Archives and Records Administration is set to turn over “16 records that show Trump…had knowledge of the correct declassification process while he was president” and did not follow it.

In a letter sent to lawmakers last month, Trump’s legal team likened the documents found at Mar-a-Lago to those found at Joe Biden’s home and ones found at the home of former vice president Mike Pence, saying that “deficient document handling and storage procedures are not limited to any individual, administration or political party.” Of course, what they didn’t add was that neither Biden nor Pence refused to hand back over the classified documents they’d taken, necessitating an FBI raid.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to the Journal’s request for comment. Though, as you could have probably guessed, Trump has previously claimed Smith’s investigation is a politically motivated witch hunt.

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In other Trump legal news…

The former guy is apparently unhappy about the trial date for his hush money case. Per The New York Times:

The trial of Donald J. Trump has been scheduled for March 25, 2024, the judge presiding over his Manhattan criminal case said at a hearing on Tuesday. Mr. Trump attended the hearing remotely, making his first courtroom appearance since 34 felony charges were unveiled against him last month. He appeared to react angrily when the trial date was announced by Justice Juan Merchan, though his microphone was muted and it was unclear what he was saying to the lawyer seated next to him, Todd Blanche.

The trial is set for three weeks after Super Tuesday, one of the most important days on the Republican presidential primary calendar. And the disclosure of the date came just a day before Mr. Trump’s chief rival for the Republican nomination, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, was set to announce his own run, highlighting the way that Mr. Trump’s legal entanglements could complicate his third campaign for the White House.