Trump Torches 'Filth and Decay' of DC Swamp, Judge Hands Down Conditions of Release
After pleading not guilty in federal court to the charges against him in connection with the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump noted how far the nation and its capital have fallen.
Trump faces four counts related to his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. He faces separate indictments over allegations he mishandled classified documents and charges of falsifying business records in 2016 in connection with the presidential election that he won.
Trump said little in court other than entering his plea. He made a short statement as he prepared to leave Washington after his court appearance.
“This is a very sad day for America,” Trump said before boarding Trump Force One.
“And it was also very sad driving through Washington, D.C., and seeing the filth, and the decay, and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti. This is not the place that I left. It’s a very sad thing to see it,” he said.
🚨Donald Trump after being Indicted in DC: “This is a very sad day for America” pic.twitter.com/Y6TP8F35rl
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 3, 2023
Trump said his indictment is a symptom of the grave ills plaguing the nation.
“When you look at what’s happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in America. This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot,” he said.
“So, if you can’t beat them, you persecute them or you prosecute them. We can’t let this happen in America,” he said.
Prior to leaving for Washington, Trump posted a defiant message on his Truth Social platform.
“I AM NOW GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE ARRESTED FOR HAVING CHALLENGED A CORRUPT, RIGGED, & STOLEN ELECTION. IT IS A GREAT HONOR, BECAUSE I AM BEING ARRESTED FOR YOU. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he wrote.
According to ABC, the conditions of Trump’s release are that he not violate state or federal laws, appear in court as required, sign a bond that commits him to appear, and not communicate about the case’s facts with people Trump knows will be witnesses unless through attorneys or in the presence of attorneys.
The first hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 28, five days after the first Republican presidential debate, which Trump has indicated he may sit out.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba decried the political roots of the charges facing Trump, according to Fox News.
“This is not a coincidence. This is election interference at its finest against the leading candidate right now for president for either party,” Habba said.
“President Trump is under siege in a way that we have never seen before. President Trump and his legal team and everyone on his team will continue to fight. Not for him, but for the American people,” she said.
“It’s not about the Jan. 6 case. It’s about the fact that in the matter of a couple of months, we have seen them try and tie up — and me as an attorney, I’ve never seen this — tie up one individual … who’s running a campaign, in a campaign, running for office for president, so that he is in court in depositions and distract him, so that he won’t properly run for 2024. And frankly, it’s not going to work.”
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