Donald Trump tells crowds: ‘They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you’
Donald Trump has doubled down on claims he is the victim of a “witch hunt” – and says he is being framed for “treason”.
Speaking on Saturday in Georgia and North Carolina, he called it “one of the most horrific abuses of power in our country”, a “vicious persecution” and a “travesty of justice” by Joe Biden’s administration.
It was his first public appearance since he was charged with 37 felony counts in connection with hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
“They’ve launched one witch hunt after another to try and stop our movement, to thwart the will of the American people,” Mr Trump said – later adding: “In the end, they’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you.”
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What has Trump been charged with?
The former US president falsely insisted he won the 2020 election, saying: “We have fake elections, we have no borders, we have inflation.”
And he repeated an assertion that he had done nothing wrong – arguing he had been covered by the Presidential Records Act.
“This whole fake indictment, they don’t even once mention the Presidential Records Act … because they want to use something called the Espionage Act,” he said.
About 100 supporters, some waving “Witch Hunt” signs, showed up to an airfield in Georgia to greet Trump as he arrived.
Jan Plemmons, 66, wearing an oversize foam “Make America Great Again” hat, called the federal charges “absolutely ridiculous” and said she was ready to campaign with Mr Trump.
Another supporter, 67-year-old Michael Sellers, said it was “criminal what they’re doing” to him.
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‘I’m an innocent man,’ Trump says
Republican counteroffensive
While the indictment on charges of mishandling classified documents is set to play out in a federal court in Florida, about a thousand miles away, part of Mr Trump’s defence is well underway in a different venue – the halls of Congress.
Republicans have been preparing for months to wage an aggressive counteroffensive against the Justice Department.
The Republican campaign to discredit federal prosecutors skims over the substance of those charges, which were brought by a grand jury in Florida.
GOP lawmakers are instead working, as they have for several years, to foster a broader argument that law enforcement – and the Biden administration – are conspiring against the former president and possible Republican nominee for president in 2024.
Speaking to Politico, Mr Trump vowed to remain in the race even if he is convicted, declaring: “I’ll never leave.”
Pic: Department of Justice
Frontrunner for GOP nomination
Mr Trump remains the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, despite his mounting legal woes.
He is accused of wilfully defying Justice Department demands to return classified documents, enlisting aides in his efforts to hide the records and even telling his lawyers that he wanted to defy a subpoena for the materials stored at his residence.
The classified documents allegedly include files about the US nuclear programme and vulnerabilities to an attack that he knew he shouldn’t have kept after leaving office.
And prosecutors highlighted two instances where he allegedly shared classified information with people who were not authorised to see it.
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What the indictment means and what happens next
This is an entirely different level to what we’ve seen before
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Pic: Department of Justice
The 49-page indictment also includes claims that he stored documents in a shower and ballroom at his resort, among other places.
The most serious charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 20 years each, but first-time offenders rarely get anywhere near the maximum sentence and the decision would ultimately be up to the judge.
It has been an extraordinary few hours which may well set the tone for a hugely consequential week ahead.
In the time that it took me to fly from London to Saudi Arabia, where President Donald Trump will begin a pivotal Middle East tour this week, a flurry of news has emerged on a range of key global challenges.
• On the Gaza war: The Trump administration has confirmed it’s holding talks with Hamas, which says it will release a hostage amid renewed hopes of a ceasefire.
• On the Ukraine war: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul – this announcement came minutes after Trump urged Zelenskyy to agree to the meeting.
• On the China-US trade war: The White House says the two countries have agreed to a “trade deal”. China said the talks, in Geneva, were “candid, in-depth and constructive”.
All three of these developments represent dramatic shifts in three separate challenges and hint at the remarkable influence the US president is having globally.
This sets the ground for what could be a truly consequential week for Trump’s presidency and his ability to effect change.
With his unique style, Trump is seeking to align numerous stars as he embarks on his first foreign diplomatic trip of his second presidency.
For days, it’s been unclear how the week ahead would unfold and which global challenge would be dominant.
The Saudi government has been instrumental as a broker in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and Qatar has been a mediator in the Gaza war.
Trump will visit both countries this week.
President Donald Trump on Air Force One earlier this month. File pic: AP
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Putin under pressure?
On Ukraine, Putin held a late-night news conference at the Kremlin on Saturday at which he made the surprise proposal of talks with Zelenskyy in Istanbul this Thursday.
But he rejected European and US calls for an immediate ceasefire.
The move was widely interpreted as a delay tactic.
Trump then issued a social media post urging Zelenskyy to accept the Russian proposal; effectively to call Putin’s bluff.
The American president wrote: “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly! I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who’s too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America. HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!”
Within minutes, Zelenskyy responded, agreeing to the talks.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The prospect of Putin and Zelenskyy together in Istanbul on Thursday is remarkable.
It raises the possibility that Trump would want to be there too.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes other world leaders to Kyiv. Pic: Presidential Office of Ukraine/dpa/AP Images
Israel’s war in Gaza
On Gaza, it’s been announced that US envoy Steve Witkoff will arrive in Israel on Monday to finalise details for the release of Idan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage being held by Hamas.
The development comes after it was confirmed that Mr Witkoff has been holding discussions with Israel, Qatar and Egypt and, through them, with Hamas.
The talks focused on a possible Gaza hostage deal and larger peace discussions for a ceasefire.
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Gaza after around a year and a half of Israeli attacks. Pic: Reuters/Mahmoud Issa
Just days ago, Israel announced a new military plan to move back into Gaza.
When do candid talks become a trade deal?
Meanwhile, officials from the United States and China have been holding talks in Geneva, Switzerland, to resolve their trade war, which was instigated by Trump’s tariffs against China.
Late on Sunday evening, the White House released a statement claiming that a trade deal had been struck.
In a written statement, titled “U.S. Announces China Trade Deal in Geneva”, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said: “I’m happy to report that we made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks… We will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were productive. We had the vice premier, two vice ministers, who were integrally involved, Ambassador Jamieson, and myself. And I spoke to President Trump, as did Ambassador Jamieson, last night, and he is fully informed of what is going on. So, there will be a complete briefing tomorrow morning.”
Beijing Global Times newspaper quoted the Chinese vice premier as saying that the talks were candid, in-depth and constructive.
However, the Chinese fell short of calling it a trade deal.
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A Qatari gift
In a separate development, US media reports say that Qatar is preparing to gift Trump a Boeing 747 from its royal fleet, which he would use as a replacement for the existing and aging Air Force One plane.
The Qatari government says no deal has been finalised, but the development is already causing controversy because of the optics of accepting gifts of this value.
US
Hamas says it will release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander as part of ceasefire efforts today
Hamas has said it will release Edan Alexander, an Israeli soldier who holds American citizenship.
The group announced on Sunday that the 21-year-old, who is believed to be the last living American hostage in Gaza, will be released as part of ongoing efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire with Israel.
Hamas, the militant group with which Israel has been at war since 7 October 2023, said Mr Alexander would be released on Monday.
The group said in a statement: “Hamas has been in contact with the US administration over the past few days.
“The movement has expressed a high degree of positivity, and the release of Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US citizen, will be part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach our people in the Gaza Strip.”
Donald Trump posing for photos with family members of Edan Alexander in New York last year. File pic: AP
Mr Alexander, who is from the US state of New Jersey, was 19 when he was taken from his base on the border with Gaza in southern Israel during the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023.
His expected release has been described as a “gesture of goodwill” by Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, who has been heavily involved in peace talks between Hamas and Israel.
He confirmed to Sky News’ US partner network NBC News that he is travelling to Israel to secure Mr Alexander’s release.
“We are picking him up probably tomorrow,” Mr Witkoff said. “There was a long negotiation with lots of people to thank.”
The Hostages Families Forum said it is “embracing and supporting” Mr Alexander’s family. It said his release should “mark the beginning of a comprehensive agreement that will secure the freedom of all remaining hostages”.
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From 7 May: Israeli military strikes kill dozens in Gaza
US special envoy Adam Boehler described the announcement as a “positive step forward” adding that the US would encourage Hamas to also “release the bodies of four other Americans that were taken”.
The announcement was made hours after a senior Palestinian official told Reuters that the US administration was involved in wider talks with Hamas alongside Egypt and Qatar in a “pursuit of an agreement”.
Mr Trump is also set to travel to the Middle East later this week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The four-day trip is expected to focus heavily on business deals and new investments.
‘A goodwill gesture’
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was told by the US that Mr Alexander’s release was “a goodwill gesture toward the Americans without compensation or conditions”.
It said the US told Israel the move is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of hostages, according to the original “Witkoff framework” – which Israel has already accepted.
The “Witkoff framework” was proposed in March. It involves Hamas releasing half of its remaining hostages – the militant group’s main bargaining chip – in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
Read more from Sky News:
What could Israel’s plan for Gaza be?
Israeli embassy in London ‘was target of alleged terror plot’
Hamas has always refused to accept the deal. It said it is willing to free all remaining hostages and agree to a permanent ceasefire if Israel pulls out completely from Gaza.
Around 59 hostages are still inside Gaza, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
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