Trump indicted for bid to overturn poll defeat

Washington, August 2

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Donald Trump has been indicted on four counts by a federal grand jury for plotting to overturn his 2020 election defeat, the third time this year the former US president has been criminally charged as he seeks to retake the White House in 2024.

The 45-page indictment was filed by Jack Smith, special counsel of Justice Department, after the grand jury heard months of testimony from some of Trump’s closest associates of how he tried to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden, who became the President in January 2021.

Trump, 77, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the country, witness tampering, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. These charges relate to Trump’s actions over a period of more than two months from soon after election day (November 3) until the day he left the White House.

The plot to overturn the 2020 election culminated in an unprecedented physical assault by Trump’s supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify Biden’s victory. “Despite having lost, the defendant was determined to remain in power. So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won. These claims were false, and the defendant knew that they were false,” the indictment reads. Trump in a statement to his supporters said that he did nothing wrong and the charges against him were politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Trump said he had “never had so much support” as he geared up for the next year’s election race. On his Truth Social platform, Trump referred to the indictment as unprecedented. — PTI

Charged 3rd time in 1 yr

• Donald Trump has been charged criminally third time this year as he seeks to retake the White House in 2024.
• In a statement to his supporters, the former president says he has done nothing wrong and the charges against him are politically motivated.

Support base growing: former President

• A defiant Donald Trump says he has “never had so much support” as he gears up for the next year’s race for the White House.
• Referring to his indictment as unprecedented, Trump says it has awoken the world to corruption, scandal and failure in the US.