Donald Trump slams election indictment on eve of court hearing

Ex-US President Donald Trump has lashed retired astatine charges against him of plotting to overturn his 2020 predetermination defeat, connected the eve of his tribunal appearance.

The "unprecedented indictment" shows the "corruption, scandal, & failure" of the US nether Joe Biden's presidency, helium wrote connected societal media.

Security is being ramped up successful Washington DC for Thursday's hearing.

Mr Trump already faces 2 different transgression cases arsenic helium campaigns for the White House adjacent year.

But the predetermination lawsuit helium was charged with connected Tuesday is wide seen arsenic the astir superior 1 of all.

In an all-capital-letters station connected his Truth Social level connected Wednesday, Mr Trump, who was astatine his Bedminster, New Jersey, play club, thanked his followers and said: "I ne'er had truthful overmuch enactment connected thing before."

In different posts helium attacked rival Republican statesmanlike hopefuls, including his erstwhile Vice-President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

He repeated his statement that Mr Pence had had the ineligible authorization to halt Congress from certifying Mr Biden's predetermination triumph connected 6 January 2021, proceedings that were disrupted arsenic Trump supporters rioted astatine the US Capitol.

Mr Trump, 77, is expected to look successful idiosyncratic astatine a national courthouse successful Washington, DC connected Thursday astatine 16:00 EDT (20:00 GMT). He has visited DC lone erstwhile since helium near the White House. A queue was already forming connected Wednesday evening extracurricular the building.

He faces 4 counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US, tampering with a witnesser and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.

Mr Trump's lawyers person hinted astatine what his defence against the predetermination charges mightiness be.

On Wednesday, lawyer John Lauro appeared connected NBC's Today amusement and said helium planned to reason that Mr Trump was protected by the close to escaped code enshrined successful the First Amendment of the Constitution.

"[The indictment] is criminalising speech," Mr Lauro said.

Mr Trump's ineligible squad are besides resisting the prosecutors' tendency for a speedy proceedings - saying they request to clip to organise their client's defence.

A spokesperson for the US Marshals Service, a national instrumentality enforcement bureau that guards courts, told Reuters quality bureau Mr Trump would beryllium fingerprinted and asked to supply basal information, specified arsenic his day of commencement and Social Security ID number.

Several different suspects accused of engagement successful the US Capitol riot person had hearings that were scheduled for Thursday postponed.

Federal agencies and section constabulary person been stepping up information measures successful the nation's superior up of Mr Trump's trip.

The Secret Service, which provides extortion to presidents and ex-presidents, released a connection informing the nationalist of "short-term postulation implications owed to protectee movements" successful cardinal Washington DC.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said the bureau would "ensure the highest levels of information and information for the erstwhile president, portion minimizing disruptions to the mean tribunal process".

On Wednesday, an evident hoax 911 telephone astir an progressive shooting astatine the Capitol triggered a lockdown successful 3 Senate bureau buildings and a large constabulary exigency response.

Speaking to reporters during the alert, US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the constabulary unit that battled rioters two-and-a-half years agone was well-trained and prepared for active-shooter drills.

"We're prepared for thing that whitethorn hap tomorrow," helium said, referring to Mr Trump's tribunal appearance.

Mr Trump is presently the wide front-runner successful the Republican party's contention to prime its adjacent statesmanlike candidate.

Congressional Republicans person been rallying circular him, arguing that the latest indictment shows the US has go a "banana republic" and echoing the erstwhile president's assertion that the prosecutions magnitude to predetermination interference.

Mr Pence, who has been struggling to summation traction successful the 2024 White House race, maintained connected Wednesday during a run halt astatine the Indiana State Fair that helium had "done his duty" connected January 6 2021.

"Sadly the president was surrounded by a radical of crackpot lawyers that kept telling him what his itching ears wanted to hear," helium said. "The president yet continued to request that I take him implicit the Constitution."

The 45-page election-related indictment against Mr Trump is based partially connected contemporaneous notes that Mr Pence kept of their conversations successful the days starring up to US Capitol riot.

Mr Trump has already been charged successful 2 different cases: with mishandling classified files and falsifying concern records to screen up a hush-money outgo to a porn star.

Prosecutors successful Georgia whitethorn bring a transgression lawsuit against Mr Trump this period implicit alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 predetermination effect successful that state.