Donald Trump was indicted yesterday in connection with his far-reaching efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
It is his second federal indictment, the first was related to his handling of national defense documents and his third overall.
The indictment accuses Trump of three conspiracies: one to defraud the U.S., a second to obstruct an official government proceeding and a third to deprive people of civil rights provided by federal law or the Constitution.
He is also charged with a fourth count of obstructing an official proceeding. The most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The charges signify an extraordinary moment in American history: Can a sitting president spread lies about an election and try to deploy his government’s power to overturn the will of the voters without consequence? The Trump case raises the kind of specter that is more familiar in less stable nations, Peter Baker, a White House correspondent, writes in an analysis.
The attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, “was fueled by lies” — Trump’s lies, Jack Smith, the special counsel, said.
Trump denounced the new charges. “Why did they wait two and a half years to bring these fake charges, right in the middle of President Trump’s winning campaign for 2024?” he said, calling it “election interference” and comparing the Biden administration to Nazi Germany.
