THE SQUIZ

It’s a big day in Florida for former US President Donald Trump… Early this morning, Trump pleaded not guilty in a Miami courthouse to 37 federal charges related to keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. At the time of sending you your morning news starter the case had just left the courtroom, with a Trump lawyer outside the court saying no mug shot was taken and arguing: “He’s not a flight risk. He is the leading candidate of the GOP [Republican Party] at the moment.” We also know that Trump plans to fly back to his New Jersey golf club for a ​​​​​​​political fundraising dinner where he’s expected to address the indictment. If that wasn’t enough, Wednesday is also Trump’s 77th birthday. What a way to celebrate…

HOW IS THE LEGAL CASE LOOKING?

Now that legal experts have had a few days to sift through the charges against the Republican heavyweight, they’ve been weighing in on the strength of the case. The short version: it’s not looking great for Trump. The evidence against Trump includes an audio recording of him showing a secret doc to a group of people and saying that he “could have declassified it”, which undercuts his previous argument that all the files were already declassified. Legal eagles also reckon that the obstruction charges might be the most serious part of the indictment – in other words, the cover-up being worse than the alleged crime. Trump’s own former Attorney General William Barr boiled it down, saying, “If even half of it is true, then he’s toast.”

AND THE POLITICS?

If toast is on the menu, Trump would prefer to skip this breakfast. He called the indictment “a political hit job”, and Republicans agree… In a recent poll, 81% of them called the charges politically motivated. The same poll also saw 43% of self-identified Republicans put Trump as their #1 pick for the presidential nomination, putting him leagues ahead of the second-placed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on 22%. The timing for the trial isn’t yet locked in, but some experts say it would likely happen after the November 2024 election. Which raises another fascinating question: could Trump pardon himself if he wins? Experts are split, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try…

Looking for the backstory to this big news story? Here’s a super quick Squiz Shortcut to get your talking points in order. You’re welcome.