Former President Donald Trump is lashing out at prosecutors ahead of his court appearance where he faces charges related to his alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election defeat. While facing two other criminal cases, Trump’s current election-related charge is considered the most serious and security measures have been heightened in Washington DC in preparation for Thursday’s hearing.
In response, Trump took to his social media site to blast the indictment as “election interference” and trash former Vice-President Mike Pence for not helping him stay in power. He also attacked GOP rival Ron DeSantis as a highly “FLAWED CANDIDATE.”
“Highly respected political pundit Ed Rollins just quit the DeSanctimonious Campaign saying that Ron is a highly “FLAWED CANDIDATE,” whose poll numbers are crashing, and who is firing a large percentage of his workers. This whole excursion into a non-Trump Endorsed campaign is working out very badly for DeSanctus. Like Mike Pence, who I took from a flawed and failing gubernatorial re-elect campaign in the Great State of Indiana to make my V.P., Ron is a very disloyal guy who has taken bad advice!”
Trump also pushed his the false claim that Mike Pence had the authority to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory on January 6, 2021, an event disrupted by Trump supporters’ riot at the US Capitol.
“I feel badly for Mike Pence, who is attracting no crowds, enthusiasm, or loyalty from people who, as a member of the Trump Administration, should be loving him. He didn’t fight against Election Fraud, which we will now be easily able to prove based on the most recent Fake Indictment & information which will have to be made available to us, finally – a really BIG deal.” Trump wrote. “The V.P. had power that Mike didn’t understand, but after the Election, the RINOS & Dems changed the law, taking that power away!”
Trump’s legal team plans to argue that he is protected by the First Amendment’s right to free speech. Trump’s attorneys are also resisting a speedy trial, arguing they need time to organize a defense.
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans continue to cater to Trump’s supporters by rallying around him and portraying the indictments as election interference.
The 45-page election-related indictment against Trump is partly based on contemporaneous notes taken by Mike Pence during their conversations leading up to the US Capitol riot.
Trump is also facing charges related to mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a payment to a porn star. In Georgia, prosecutors may bring another criminal case against him over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election result in that state.
