Former President Donald Trump defends handling of security tapes sought by federal investigators, denying any wrongdoing in an interview with conservative radio host John Fredericks. The denial comes a day after prosecutors add new charges against him, alleging that he ordered employees at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, to delete the videos.
Despite being the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Trump insists that he voluntarily handed over the security tapes but expresses confusion about the prosecutors’ claims. “These were security tapes. We handed them over to them…I’m not even sure what they’re saying,” he states.
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith files three new criminal counts against Trump on Thursday, bringing the total to 40. Additionally, Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago, faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice for allegedly assisting Trump in concealing documents. According to prosecutors, De Oliveira informed another resort employee that “the boss” wanted the security videos deleted after the Justice Department issued a subpoena.
De Oliveira also faces a separate charge of lying to the FBI during a voluntary interview, falsely claiming no involvement in moving boxes of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. However, his lawyer remains silent in response to Reuters’ request for comment.
Trump reacts strongly to the charges, defending the employees involved and claiming they are being intimidated into fabricating lies about him. “They went after two fine employees yesterday, fine people…They’re trying to intimidate people so that people go out and makeup lies about me. Because I did nothing wrong,” Trump asserts.
Despite the mounting legal challenges, the former president expresses his commitment to his 2024 presidential campaign. He states that even if he were to be convicted and sentenced on the various charges, he would not drop out of the race. The situation remains highly contentious and closely watched by political observers and the public alike.
COMMENTS