I'm Stephanie Sai. Welcome to the news hour. We have major breaking
news to report news hour has confirmed that former President Donald
Trump has been indicted. This makes him the first former U. S president
in history to be indicted on federal charges in a post on Truth Social.
Trump said he had been indicted quote over what he called the boxes
hoax. That is a reference to the boxes found at his moral Lago estate
by the FBI last August, which contained classified material. Aerials.
The former president goes on to say that he has been summoned to
appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday at 3 P.m. for
more on this developing story. I'm joined by news hours. White House
correspondent Laura Barone Lopez Laura Good evening. I know that
the details are still sketchy that the indictment is still under
seal. But what is being reported so far.
So Stephanie right now. The special counsel's office has not confirmed
this indictment. We should know that note that and they told me not
to expect anything from them tonight. But when news hour has confirmed
from a source with direct knowledge is that the former president
has been some instructed to go to my to my Miami courthouse tomorrow
on Tuesday. Excuse me at 3 P.m., and we don't have We have not confirmed
all of the specific charges that are related to this. But multiple
outlets are saying that the president is being charged with seven
counts and that they are related to his retention of classified documents.
We're talking about the willful retention of national defense document
now that's related to the Espionage Act. Stephanie and I spoke to
a former Pentagon special counsel just now, who said that the reason
those charges are being brought in Florida as multiple outlets are
reporting rather than in D. C. Because they're focusing on the retention,
not the removal of these classified documents. But the retention
also potentially in these charges, based on reports is obstruction
of justice that's knowingly holding on. To a record that has been
subpoenaed by the federal government and then refusing to turn it
over. That's what that's about, because the president was subpoenaed.
The former president was peanut last year by the Justice Department
to for them to regain the, um obtained these documents back. Bring
them back from Mar a Lago and their, uh, potentially charging him
with obstruction of justice on that, because there are there are
federal laws about what you're supposed to do with. Pacified documents
after you leave the White House, right? We have been reporting on
the special counsel's investigation ramping up, especially in recent
days Impaneling a special grand jury in Miami and Florida, not just
in Washington, DC remind us what other significant moments led up
to this indictment. Well, There's been a lot of big moment Stephanie
since summer of last year, Starting with the fact that the former
president himself was the person that announced that the FBI was
searching his home was searching his moral. I'll go home for these
classified documents. We learned that first from the former president
and all along the way, um, the refusal to hand them over the rejection
of a subpoena when it was when the when the DOJ issued that and then
also an affidavit that was released about last Last September, which
I was talking to legal experts tonight and in particular this former
special counsel from the Pentagon, who said if you look at that affidavit
from last September that that really shows you what it looks like
the potential charges based on the reports that we're seeing are
laying out. They weren't surprised by anything that they were seeing
coming out tonight. Yeah, well, the this folks on the right politicians
are already saying this is a political prosecution. How momentous
is this indictment? Laura? What does it mean for Trump's presidential
campaign? It's certainly an unprecedented moment right now in American
history that a former president could potentially be indicted for
a second time, this time by the federal government. And now, though,
Stephanie this does not stop him from continuing his run for the
his reelection bid, his went for the presidency. This is not stop
him, even if he's convicted, and if even if he were to potentially
face prison time now, a lot of legal experts doubt that he will,
but this does not stop him at all. All from running and potentially
serving in the presidency again, and in fact, the Trump campaign
has already sent out a fundraising email. Surrounding the indictment
correspondent Laura Barone Lopez. Thank you so much for joining us
on New Zara West Laura will have much more detail and analysis on
the federal indictment of President Donald Trump on the news hour
tomorrow.
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