Trump is facing 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act through “willful retention” of classified records, as well as six additional counts related to his alleged efforts to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation into the matter.
The Justice Department unsealed a federal indictment on Friday charging former President Donald Trump with 37 felony counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Trump is facing 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act through “willful retention” of classified records, as well as six additional counts related to his alleged efforts to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation into the matter.
Trump addressed his followers from his private cottage at Bedminster Country Club in New Jersey on Friday while his attorneys took to the airwaves to express their outrage.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the indictment a "hoax."
The former president then went to dinner in the club house where "he acted as a DJ" according to The New York Times, using an iPad to play his favorites: Elvis, Pavarotti and James Brown.
On Friday, Inside Edition spotted Trump playing a round of golf.
He is said to be busy strategizing with his advisors, and will be back out on the campaign trail in North Carolina on Saturday.
Then, on Tuesday at 3 p.m., he will report to a federal courthouse in Miami to be indicted on those criminal charges.
The indictment alleges that Trump stored boxes of classified documents in several rooms at Mar-a Lago.
Photographs included with the indictment showed these alleged boxes on the stage in the ballroom, basement, a bathroom and even in a shower at the private Palm Beach club.
The indictment alleges that these documents outlined U.S. military capability as well as that of our allies; the military vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies; and details about the nuclear program.
Trump's supporters — and even his rivals for the Republican nomination — did come to his defense.
"Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?" asked Florida Governor Ron DeSants on Twitter.
Trump's attorney Jim Trusty also made the rounds on Friday, pushing back against the charges on CNN, "Today" and "Good Morning America." He then suddenly resigned on Friday morning alongside another Trump attorney, John Rowley.
DONALD TRUMP FEDERAL INDICTMENT
Prosecutors allegedly have a recording of Trump bragging about knowingly taking classified documents from the White House, according to the indictment.
The indictment also includes a text exchange between an unidentified member of Trump's family, who sent a message to Trump's alleged accomplice Waltine Nauta, informing him there would not be room for the boxes of documents on the former president's plane.
ABC claims that family member is Melania.
She was photographed this week leaving Trump Tower in New York City.
The question now is will she be in Miami on Tuesday for his indictment.
And will Trump's mounting legal troubles hamper his bid for the White House?
Only time will tell.
Trump will now be represented by Todd Blanche, who previously worked with disgraced Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and is part of the team of lawyers defending Trump in his New York legal battle.
