Trump indicted in case of alleged mishandling of government secrets
NPR Online NewsDec 27, 2022
The Facts
Special Counsel Jack Smith on Friday unsealed the indictment against Donald Trump, which reveals the former president is charged with 37 federal counts — including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements.
Trump becomes the first president to ever be indicted on federal criminal charges, and the indictment's unsealing comes one day after Trump was charged in Miami's US District Court.
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
We may finally be witnessing Donald Trump being held accountable for his actions. While Trump's continual excuses sound like raving hysterics, the former president will soon realize that the rule of law also applies to him. It's extremely clear that Trump took classified documents and refused to return them — and opportunities for escape are becoming evermore scarce.
Pro-Trump narrative
The case against Trump seems bad on paper because that is exactly how it was designed to look. Biden's weaponized DOJ continues to hunt the former president while refusing to show anyone, including the courts, the nature of the documents found, or indict Biden or Pence for similar breaches. While Republican 2024 candidates will undoubtedly watch in silence, such a legal construct cannot succeed. The Deep State is worried about Donald Trump's surge toward another successful presidential campaign.
