Former President Donald Trump is facing a criminal trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office in January 2021. The trial is set to begin on 20 May 2023, in the middle of his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
Prosecutors accuse Trump of illegally keeping hundreds of secret files at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. They also have an audio recording of Trump admitting that he kept a classified document about a potential attack on Iran and wanted to share it with others.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and called the case a “hoax” and a “crusade” against him by the justice department. He has argued that he declassified all the material he removed from the White House and that he had the authority to do so as the former president.
If convicted, Trump could face fines, imprisonment or both. He could also lose his security clearance and his ability to access classified information in the future. The outcome of the trial could also affect his chances of winning the Republican nomination and the presidency in 2024.