Trump arrives in Florida to face charges, maintains lead in poll
Jun 13, 2023
Washington [US], June 13: Former President Donald Trump arrived in Miami on Monday to face federal criminal charges, while a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found a vast majority of his fellow Republicans believe the case to be politically motivated.
Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, is scheduled to be in a Miami federal courthouse on Tuesday at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) for an initial appearance in the case.
Accused of unlawfully keeping U.S. national-security documents and lying to officials who tried to recover them, Trump has proclaimed his innocence and vowed to continue his campaign to regain the presidency in a November 2024 election.
Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, touched down in Miami at 2:54 p.m. (1854 GMT) in a private jet with his name emblazoned on the side.
Supporters gathered outside a nearby golf club he owns, where he was due to stay the night.
"I HOPE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS WATCHING WHAT THE RADICAL LEFT ARE DOING TO AMERICA," he wrote on his Truth Social social-media platform before departing from New Jersey.
Trump's legal woes have not affected his popularity among Republican voters.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday found that 81% of Republicans thought the charges were politically motivated. The poll also found Trump continues to lead his rivals for the party's presidential nomination by a wide margin.
Some 43% of self-identified Republicans said Trump was their preferred candidate, compared to 22% who picked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump's closest rival. In early May, Trump led DeSantis 49% to 19%, but that was before DeSantis formally entered the race.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
