‘This day will go down in infamy’: Trump rages in post-arraignment speech

Former President Trump on Tuesday framed himself as a victim of selective and politically motivated prosecution hours after pleading not guilty to charges that he obstructed justice and endangered national security by refusing to hand over classified documents from his time in the White House.

Trump offered up numerous misleading or inaccurate defenses for his conduct in a speech to supporters from his Bedminster, N.J., club. He compared his own handling of classified materials favorably to how other presidents have handled sensitive documents, and he argued his prosecution was an effort to damage his 2024 presidential campaign.

“This is called election interference in yet another attempt to rig and steal a presidential election,” Trump said. “It’s a political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation. This day will go down in infamy and Joe Biden will forever be remembered as the most corrupt president in the history of our country.”

The remarks offered up a likely road map to how Trump and his team are likely to address the allegations moving forward.

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More Trump arraignment coverage

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Trump attacked Biden as a “corrupt sitting president,” and he lambasted special counsel Jack Smith, the man leading the investigation into his conduct, as a “thug” and “raging lunatic.”

Trump argued that his right to keep whatever documents he wanted was enshrined by the Presidential Records Act, even though the law states that all presidential records belong to the federal government once a president leaves office.

He also claimed that he was innocent because neither former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton nor President Biden faced legal repercussions for their handling of classified materials.

Then-FBI Director James Comey accused Hillary Clinton of extreme carelessness for having a private email server at her home but added, “We did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information.”

Former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, after pleading not guilty in a Miami courtroom earlier in the day to dozens of felony counts that he hoarded classified documents and refused government demands to give them back. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Former President Clinton kept tapes of his conversations with author and historian David Branch, reportedly storing them in a sock drawer. But the tapes were deemed personal records and did not contain classified records. 

In Biden’s case, aides notified the Department of Justice (DOJ) upon discovering classified material from his time as vice president in an old Washington, D.C., office and at Biden’s Delaware home. And the president’s team has cooperated with the resulting DOJ probe of Biden’s handling of classified material, a stark contrast to Trump’s alleged obstruction.

“I’m not the one who thinks I’m above the law, I’m the one that follows the law,” Trump declared Tuesday.

Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to charges on 37 counts following a DOJ indictment alleging he violated both the Espionage Act and obstructed justice in taking classified records from his presidency and refusing to return them.

Trump was indicted Thursday in connection with the investigation led by Jack Smith, with the unsealed document revealing Trump would also be facing charges on concealing documents and making false statements.

The indictment alleged that Trump kept the documents in various rooms of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, which frequently hosted large events and gatherings. It also alleged Trump on two separate occasions spoke about specific classified materials with staffers at his New Jersey club who did not have security clearances.

Trump on Tuesday repeatedly tied his prosecution to his status as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination for 2024, and recent polls have shown a close race in a hypothetical rematch between Trump and Biden.

“I am the only one that can save this nation because you know they’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you, and I just happen to be standing in their way,” Trump said. “On Nov. 5, 2024, justice will be done. We will take back our country, and we will make America great again.”

While several Republicans have criticized Trump’s conduct, including some of his 2024 rivals, he has yet to pay a short-term political price for facing federal charges.

A CBS News/YouGov poll published Sunday found 61 percent of Republican voters surveyed said the indictment did not change the way they viewed Trump, while 80 percent of Republicans said he should still be able to assume office if he’s convicted but goes on to win the 2024 election.

The poll showed Trump maintained a wide lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), his next closest challenger, despite news of the indictment.

An ABC News/Ipsos survey published on Sunday similarly found that 80 percent of Republicans said they believe the charges against Trump are politically motivated, compared to just 9 percent of GOP voters who said they didn’t see politics in the charges.