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.
Latest headlines:
What an indictment means for Trump's presidential bid
Former President Donald Trump can still be elected president again -- even if he is convicted -- experts tell ABC News.
But there are practical reasons that could make it a challenge, the experts told ABC News after Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in March.
Read more here.
Who is special counsel Jack Smith?
Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped Jack Smith in November 2022 as special counsel to oversee the DOJ's investigation into former President Donald Trump's handling of classified materials after leaving office.
Former colleagues have characterized Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor and former head of the Justice Department's public integrity section, as an aggressive prosecutor who would not shy away from taking on difficult prosecutorial judgments, with the background and temperament that make him a strong selection for the high-profile role.
Read more about Smith here.
What to expect at Tuesday's arraignment
When the former president arrives at Miami federal court on Tuesday, it will mark an extraordinary moment for the country: Trump will be formally placed under arrest by the very government he was once elected to lead.
Once he is arrested, Trump will be booked and processed as a federal defendant and then appear before a judge for an arraignment.
Trump, or one of his attorneys, will enter a not guilty plea, touching off the prosecution of the former president.
The courthouse has spent the last several days preparing for Trump's arrival, but there is no outward sign Thursday night that he is days away from appearing.
Prior to news of the indictment, members of the special counsel's team were seen going into and out of court and the room where a grand jury has been hearing evidence.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
Trump calls investigation a 'hoax'
Former President Donald Trump posted on his social network Truth Social Thursday evening that his lawyers have been informed he's been indicted.
He called the investigation a "hoax" and said he's an "innocent man."
Trump said he has been summoned to appear at the Miami federal courthouse on Tuesday.
Trump's campaign sent out a fundraising email following news of the indictment.
Trump to writer: 'Secret information ... look at this'
In May 2021, prosecutors allege former President Donald Trump brought some of his boxes to his Bedminster, New Jersey, property. On July 21, 2021, Trump, before and during an interview for his upcoming book, showed the writer what he called "secret information" regarding national security, prosecutors said.
"Well, with [the Senior Military Official] -- uh, let me see that, I'll show you an example. He said that I wanted to attack [Country A]. Isn't it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him," Trump said, according to prosecutors. "They presented me this--this is off the record, but—they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him."
"Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this," Trump said, according to prosecutors.
"See as president, I could have declassified it," Trump said, according to prosecutors.
"Now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret," Trump said, according to the indictment.