Summary:
- Former President Trump faces mounting legal issues, with three criminal indictments already and a possible fourth from Georgia.
- He pleaded not guilty to charges related to election fraud and working to overturn the 2020 election.
- The indictment in D.C. involves claims that he was exercising his First Amendment rights.
- The former president was previously indicted in New York on hush money payment charges and federally indicted over the handling of classified documents.
- Some Republicans defend him, while others, like former president Mike Pence, condemn his actions.
- Trump's attorney argues that his actions were protected speech under the First Amendment.
- Despite legal troubles, Trump remains the front runner for the Republican nomination.
The bottom line is the legal issues are mounting for the former president, now named in three separate criminal indictments with a possible fourth indictment coming down from Georgia. And in the case involving election fraud out of D.C., his attorney says he was only exercising his first amendment rights. The former president pleaded not guilty last week at a federal courthouse in the nation's capital to charges that he worked to overturn the 2020 election. Now I'm being indicted for you, I'm being indicted because of what we've done and I'm being indicted because they're afraid of all of us because we have a movement that's never been seen in the history of our country. This is his third criminal indictment this year with a fourth expected to come out of Georgia also about election interference.
The former president was indicted in March by the Manhattan District Attorney on hush money payment state charges. Then just months later, he was federally indicted over the handling of classified documents. That case seeing additional charges at the end of July, while some Republicans are still defending Trump. It does seem political to people and I think that the folks in Washington have to understand that if they're surprised why Trump's leading the polls, it is basically people pushing back and saying, hey, we don't trust the system. Others including former president Mike Pence, who is running for president in the next election and might end up testifying against Trump are not. President Trump was wrong. He was wrong then.
He's wrong now. I had no right to overturn the election and more and more Americans are coming up to me every day and recognizing that former president Trump's attorney says when it comes to the 2020 election, Trump was exercising his first amendment rights. President Trump did not issue any executive orders or do anything in terms of using the levers of executive power. He simply petitioned and asked state legislatures and state electoral officials around the country to act responsibly. In fact, he petitioned, not directed, he petitioned his own vice president ultimately to pause the voting on January 6th in order to allow the states to weigh in on auditing or recertifying. All of that is core first amendment protected speech. And right now the former president is the front runner for the Republican nomination.
Back to you, Arthur. Class stakes. Okay.