Hillary Clinton cackles with glee over Trump’s second indictment
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed her joy at former President Donald Trump’s second federal indictment during an appearance on the podcast Pod Save America in New York City. Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal counts in a Miami courtroom on Tuesday to charges that he mishandled top secret documents, a development seen as ironic given his 2016 attacks against Clinton for supposedly doing the same. Clinton burst into laughter at the comparisons made between her and Trump, stating that Republicans who still brought up her case while ignoring the charges faced by Trump were “odd, let’s just say to the point of being absurd.”
What are the charges against former President Trump?
Trump has been indicted on charges related to mishandling classified White House documents that were recovered at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Federal prosecutors charged that Trump unlawfully kept hundreds of documents after leaving office, including papers detailing America’s conventional and nuclear weapons programs, potential weak points in US defenses, and plans to respond to a foreign attack.
What is the potential outcome of these federal charges?
The federal indictment against Trump is the former president’s second since leaving office and marks the first time in US history a former president has faced federal charges. The 2024 GOP frontrunner is expected to go to trial in Manhattan sometime next year following his indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on 34 felony counts of business fraud related to an alleged hush-money payment by Trump to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
What is the potential effect of the federal case on civil and criminal actions against Trump?
The federal case may affect pending criminal matters against Trump, while its effect on civil actions will likely be much smaller. States may defer to the federal proceedings but maintain their ability to prosecute Trump for the same conduct.
Clinton laughs joyfully at Trump’s second indictment.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on the podcast Pod Save America on Monday night, laughing heartily at news of former President Donald Trump’s recent indictment. On Tuesday, Trump faced 37 federal counts related to mishandling classified White House documents recovered at Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Clinton could not help but find the irony in the situation, considering Trump’s 2016 attacks against her for similar accusations. Joined by New York Attorney General Letitia James and comedian Roy Wood Jr., Clinton commented on the charges against her former presidential rival, saying that it was “fascinating, I guess, in a bizarre and sad way to watch them spin themselves up.”
Trump stored the documents containing sensitive details about America’s defense programs in questionable locations, such as near a toilet. Clinton joked about her history of using a private email server while serving in the Obama administration, which resulted in a rhetorical wrist slap from the government but no formal charges.
The indictment against Trump was unsealed shortly after Trump declared that he had been charged by Jack Smith, the special counsel tapped in November to examine Trump’s retention of official documents at Mar-a-Lago. This marks the former commander in chief’s second indictment since leaving office, and it is the first time in US history that a former president has faced federal charges.
Trump is expected to go to trial in Manhattan sometime next year following his indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on 34 felony counts of business fraud related to an alleged hush-money payment by Trump to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. His business could also get banned from operating in New York if state Attorney General Letitia James wins a civil fraud case against Trump that is scheduled to go to trial this October. He also faces potential criminal charges stemming from two different probes overseen by Fulton County District Attorney Fanni Willis in Georgia and special counsel Jack Smith.
Clinton acknowledged that her case, alongside DA Bragg’s and the Georgia case, would unfortunately have to be adjourned pending the outcome of the federal case. She expressed concerns about how US District Judge Aileen Cannon might handle the federal documents case against Trump, considering her past records of moves beneficial to his interests. The federal case could affect pending criminal matters, while its effect on civil actions will likely be much smaller.