Former US president Donald Trump arrived in Florida on Monday ahead of a history-making federal court appearance on dozens of charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department’s efforts to get them back.
Mr Trump’s appearance in Miami on Tuesday will mark his second time since April facing a judge on criminal charges.
But unlike a New York case some legal analysts derided as relatively trivial, the Justice Department’s first prosecution of a former president concerns conduct that prosecutors say jeopardised national security, with Espionage Act charges carrying the prospect of a significant prison sentence.
Ahead of his court date, he and his allies have been escalating efforts to undermine the criminal case against him and drum up protests.
He has ratcheted up the rhetoric against the Justice Department special counsel who filed the case, calling Jack Smith “deranged” as he repeated without any evidence his claims that he was the target of a political persecution.
And even as his supporters accuse the Justice Department of being weaponised against him, he vowed on Monday to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate President Joe Biden and his family if he is elected to a second term.
Mr Trump landed in Miami and got into a waiting vehicle. He was expected to meet advisers before his court appearance, as he looks to line up additional lawyers following the departure before his indictment last week of two who had handled the defence for months.
He has encouraged supporters to join a planned protest at the Miami court on Tuesday, where he will face the charges and surrender to authorities.
“We need strength in our country now,” Mr Trump said Sunday, speaking to longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone in an interview on WABC Radio.
“And they have to go out and they have to protest peacefully. They have to go out.
“Look, our country has to protest. We have plenty to protest. We’ve lost everything,” he said.
He also said there were no circumstances “whatsoever” under which he would leave the 2024 race, where he has been dominating the Republican primary.
Mr Trump’s calls for protest were similar to those he made ahead of a New York court appearance in April, where he faces charges arising from hush money payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Though he complained that those who showed up to protest then were “so far away that nobody knew about them”.
And just like in that case, he plans to address supporters in a Tuesday evening speech hours after his court date.
After his court appearance, he will return to New Jersey, where he has scheduled a press event to publicly respond to the charges. He will also be holding a private fundraising event.
Trump supporters were also planning to take buses to Miami from other parts of Florida, raising concerns for law enforcement officials who are preparing for the potential of unrest around the court.
Miami mayor Francis Suarez said the city would be ready, and police chief Manuel A. Morales said the city centre could see anywhere from a few thousand up to 50,000 protesters.
“Make no mistake about it,” Mr Morales said. “We are taking this event extremely serious. We know there is a potential of things taking a turn for the worse but that’s not the Miami way.”
The Justice Department unsealed on Friday an indictment charging Mr Trump with 37 felony counts, 31 relating to the wilful retention of national defence information.
Other charges include conspiracy to commit obstruction and false statements.
