Former US President Donald Trump revealed late Thursday that his legal camp has been informed he's been indicted over classified documents retrieved by FBI agents at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, a social media site he owns. Spanning over three posts, Trump railed against the indictment, calling it politically motivated and a "DARK DAY" for the United States.
"The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax, even though Joe Biden has 1850 Boxes at the University of Delaware," Trump wrote. "I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States."
The one-time commander-in-chief went on to underscore that he is "an innocent man," adding that he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday at 3 p.m. local time.
In a video posted to Truth Social about 40 minutes after his first post, Trump called the indictment "election interference of the highest level. There has never been anything like what's happening. I'm an innocent man, I'm an innocent person."
"I am innocent and we will prove that very, very soundly and hopefully very quickly," he stressed.
Trump has claimed that he declassified the documents through the use of his then-presidential powers; however, a recently released audio tape saw Trump in 2021 discussing a Pentagon document that he said was still classified.
Unconfirmed early reports have suggested that Trump has been indicted on seven charges, some of which are said to include the willful retention of national defense information, corruptly concealing documents, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.
The US Department of Justice has not confirmed Trump's indictment, nor offered any confirmation on what specific charges Trump may face.
Trump further asserted in his social media posts that he received "far more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country," adding that he is leading in the polls against "all candidates, both Democrat and Republican."
His comments echo Newsmax columnist Michael Shannon, who told Sputnik earlier Thursday that the indictment and everything surrounding it was politically motivated.
"This is all part of the process to indict Trump and make it difficult — if not impossible — for him to run for reelection," Shannon told Sputnik. "The entire investigation, raid on Mar–a–Lago and subsequent developments are entirely political and constitute a genuine attack on democracy."
Like Trump, Shannon also pointed out that US President Joe Biden also retained classified documents at his residences and offices from his time as vice president during the Obama administration.
"This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America," Trump wrote. "We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!"
The former president has faced multiple and piling legal issues since leaving office in 2021. In late March, he was indicted in New York on more than 30 counts related to business fraud. He was also found liable of sexual assault in a civil case stemming from an encounter with a New York City columnist in the early 1990s.