Trump says he'll plead not guilty after federal indictment

Trump is set to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday.

To read live updates from Tuesday's court appearance, click here.

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges in an investigation into his handling of classified documents, according to an indictment unsealed on Friday.

The indictment comes after more than 100 documents with classified markings were found at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in August 2022.

Trump was charged with 37 counts: 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information; one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice; one count of withholding a document or record; one count of corruptly concealing a document or record; one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation; one count of scheme to conceal; and one count of false statements and representations.

The indictment of Trump, who has repeatedly denied any allegations of impropriety, is unprecedented for a former president.


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Schumer, Jeffries release joint statement

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement Friday, "No one is above the law – including Donald Trump."

"This indictment must now play out through the legal process, without any outside political or ideological interference," they said. "We encourage Mr. Trump’s supporters and critics alike to let this case proceed peacefully in court.”


McCarthy says Trump indictment 'going to disrupt this nation'

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told Fox News he believes the indictment is "going to disrupt this nation because it goes to the core of equal justice for all."

"This is a very dark day in America when you think about what they're trying to indict President Trump on," McCarthy said, falsely equating the crimes Trump allegedly committed with President Joe Biden's own handling of classified documents.

McCarthy said House Republicans "are not going to stand for it," saying he’s already talked to House Oversight Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan "of things that we can do to ensure equal justice."

-ABC News' Lauren Peller


Trump to appear in court Tuesday

Former President Donald Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta, are set to appear in court at 3 p.m. Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Miami, according to a spokesperson for special counsel Jack Smith.

The indictment was returned Thursday and unsealed on Friday, according to his office.

Trump is expected to arrive at and depart from the Miami courthouse Friday via secure private access points that would make it impossible for the public or journalists to see him.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, "While operational security precludes us from going into specifics, the Secret Service will not seek any special accommodations outside of what would be required to ensure the former President's continued safety. As with any site visited by a protectee, the Secret Service is in constant coordination with the necessary entities to ensure protective requirements are met. We have the utmost confidence in the professionalism and commitment to security shared by our law enforcement partners in Florida.

"Miami police will also help Tuesday with "personnel, resources, detours, and/or road closures," Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said in a statement. "We're committed to protecting everyone's first amendment right and will continue to serve our residents, business owners, and visitors while maintaining the safety of our community."


Special counsel speaks out

Special counsel Jack Smith said Friday that he invites everyone to read the indictment "in full to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged."

"The men and women of the United States intelligence community and our Armed Forces dedicate their lives to protecting our nation and its people. Our laws that protect national defense information are critical for the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced," he said.

"We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone," Smith said. "Applying those laws, collecting facts, that's what determines the outcome of an investigation."


McCarthy defends keeping docs in bathroom: 'A bathroom door locks'

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy went to bat for former President Donald Trump during his first appearance in the Capitol since the 37-count indictment against Trump was handed up in Florida last week.

Asked by reporters whether it was a good look for Trump to have stored boxes of documents in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom, McCarthy responded, "I don’t know. Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens all the time?" McCarthy said, drawing comparisons to the circumstances surrounding documents found in President Joe Biden's possession.

"A bathroom door locks," McCarthy added.

McCarthy repeatedly slammed the FBI and Department of Justice for failing to indict Biden, falsely equating the crimes Trump allegedly committed with Biden's own handling of classified documents.

"I think President Trump has not been treated equally like everybody else in this process," McCarthy said.

"You raid one house and you don’t raid the other -- that's a little different, and that’s not fair," he said.

McCarthy said he has not spoken to Trump since the indictment was handed up. He said he's read "a lot of portions" of the indictment but not the entire 49-page document that was unsealed Friday.

-ABC News' Allie Pecorin and Gabe Ferris