WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Tuesday, charges were handed down after examining Trump's role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the election from 2020.
This is the first time in history a grand jury has indicted a former president for trying to overturn an election he lost. Tuesday’s charges include 4 counts including conspiracy to defraud the nation, a conspiracy against the right to vote and attempting to obstruct the certification of the electoral vote.
"In this case, my office will seek a speedy trial so that our evidence can be tested in court and judged by a jury of citizens,” said Special Counsel Jack Smith with the Department of Justice.
He spoke after a grand jury unsealed even more criminal charges against Trump. The four counts center around the 2020 election results.
"Conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding,” Smith explained.
"I would consider this the most serious of the indictments that the former President has had so far,” said 5 On Your Side Political Analyst Anita Manion.
She said Trump's previous indictments bolstered his base and expects the same this time.
"He has always liked to come under the position when he was in private life and in government of being a fighter, of being oppressed, kind of that punching back and I think this puts him in a stance that even though these allegations are certainly very serious, it's a stance he likes to be in,” she said.
Manion believes it could play well in upcoming primary elections, but it may not be the ticket to ultimate victory.
“The majority of Americans think that there were crimes committed, are concerned about this and that's not good once you get outside the Republican primary and into a general election…If you're the Republican party, the Republican establishment, this is a scary time,” she added.
Trump is expected to be arraigned on Thursday. His campaign called the indictment a "witch hunt."
Just last week, a new indictment in a separate investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents brought even more charges against him.