Donald Trump claims he’s a victim of ‘election interference’ in first speech since being charged in New York
Donald Trump has claimed he is the victim of election interference, as he condemned New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg for bringing criminal charges against him – speaking just hours after his arraignment.
The former US president delivered an address to a crowd of some 500 people in his Mar-a-Lago estate ballroom in Florida after flying in from New York.
In his first comments since being charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, the 76-year-old said he “never thought anything like this could happen in America”.
“The only crime I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it,” he said.
Latest updates: Charges against Trump unsealed
Donald Trump arrives to speak at his Mar-a-Lago estate hours after being arraigned in New York City
He then told the crowd that the US “is going to hell”, and added that even people “who are not big fans” of him have said this “should not be happening”.
“This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election and it should be dropped immediately,” he said.
Trump went on to say that Hillary Clinton got rid of 33,000 emails and “that was okay”, and added: “But nobody has done it like Joe Biden.”
He claimed that the current US president “had classified documents which he took when he was a senator” – which is a reference to the FBI raid he faced at his Florida estate last year – and that Mr Biden “is not being harassed and hounded like the people who work for me are”.
‘There is no case here’
Drawing his attention back to his indictment, he said “this is a persecution, not an investigation” but “our heads are held very high”.
Trump then told the crowd that pundits and legal analysts have said “there is no case here”.
He said he spent time with a “local failed district attorney” on Tuesday who charged a former president of the US for the first time in history.
“Every single pundit and legal analyst said there is no case. Virtually everyone,” he said.
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He said the “criminal is the district attorney” – referring to Mr Bragg – because he “illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information”.
“Hope is never lost because various prosecutors in the DA’s office also quit because they thought I was being treated unfairly,” he said. “How about that? Isn’t that great? I love them. I would like to meet them.
“Meanwhile, overall crime in New York was up 30% last year – much more than that the year before, with felony assaults, robberies and burglaries all up by massive numbers.”
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Charges against Trump explained
US is a ‘mess’
Trump said that New York is “not the same place that I know”.
Hitting out at Mr Bragg and his family, he said: “This is where we are right now. I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family, whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris.”
He went on to say, “this is where we are as a nation” and the US “is a mess”.
“With all of this being said and with a very dark cloud over our beloved country, I have no doubt that we will make America great again,” he said.
Read more:
What are the charges Donald Trump faces?
Former president Donald Trump sits at the defence table
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump personally pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy for his alleged role in hush money payments to two women towards the end of his 2016 presidential campaign – becoming the first former US president to face criminal charges.
Following the hearing in a New York court on Tuesday, he said “nothing was done illegally”.
Trump also accused New York District Attorney Bragg of shutting the city down and bringing in “38,000 NYPD officers” in a statement on social media site Truth Social.
The allegations relate to him falsifying business records “in order to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election”, according to prosecutors.
Read more:
Drama, division and debate surround Donald Trump – even on a Florida golf course
Trump in court
The Republican is accused of using a “catch and kill” scheme to identify, buy, and bury negative information about him to boost his electoral prospects.
Prosecutors say he then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, with dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws.
Setting out the case against Trump, Mr Bragg said the former president “repeatedly made false statements on New York business records” and caused others to make false statements.
World
European leaders to meet in Ukraine for ‘coalition of the willing’ talks – and issue call to Russia
Sir Keir Starmer will join other European leaders in Kyiv on Saturday for talks on the “coalition of the willing”.
The prime minister is attending the event alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It will be the first time the leaders of the four countries will travel to Ukraine at the same time – on board a train to Kyiv – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Follow latest updates on the Ukraine war
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kiev. Pic: Reuters
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for the coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement voicing support for Ukraine and calling on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
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Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of breaching ceasefire
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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Conclaves are famously unpredictable affairs – and once again the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new pope caught many by surprise.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV won the consensus of the 133 cardinal electors after only four ballots – a fast process for a diverse college of cardinals.
Though his name had circulated among some Vatican watchers, other cardinals had emerged as clear front-runners, including Pietro Parolin – the Vatican’s number two who would have been the first Italian in almost 50 years to become pontiff – or Luis Tagle, a Filipino cardinal looking to become the first Asian pope.
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What are the conclave’s secrecy measures?
Instead, it was the first North American to win the highly secretive process.
So, what went on behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel?
Until Thursday lunchtime, Cardinal Parolin was ahead, gathering between 45 and 55 votes, sources say.
A substantial number, but well short of the 89 votes he needed for a two-thirds majority.
At this point, Cardinal Prevost had between 34 and 44 votes.
But as the Italian struggled to grow his support during the first three rounds of voting, he stepped down from the race, endorsing Prevost instead, Sky News understands.
Read more:
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
List of demands in new pope’s in-tray
How does new pope compare to his predecessors?
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Who is Pope Leo?
An internal battle between Luis Tagle and Pablo Virgilio David – both cardinals hailing from Asia – cancelled out both of their chances.
And a contender from Africa – the most conservative sector of the church – was never likely for a conclave where the overwhelming majority of cardinals had been appointed by Francis, a progressive pontiff, sources say.
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Moment new pope emerges on balcony
An American pope has long been seen as highly improbable, given the geopolitical power of the US.
But Cardinal Prevost was able to draw from across the groups making up the electors: moderate US cardinals, South American cardinals and many European cardinals all coalesced around him.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica said Prevost “certainly attracted cross-party preferences, both ideologically and geographically”.
“In the conclave he was the least American of Americans: Born in Chicago, he lived 20 years in Peru,” the newspaper said.
It added: “As a man used to teamwork, Prevost appeared to many as the right man to make the papacy evolve into a more collegial form.”
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