First On-Camera Response From Trump on Georgia Indictment: ‘I Have Four of Them Now’

Former President Donald Trump has spoken out on camera about the recently revealed Georgia indictment against him, calling the accusations a "witch hunt" and expressing fear for the consequences for the nation. Trump is charged in the indictment with running a "criminal enterprise" to rig the 2020 presidential election, which he angrily refutes, reports CNN.

“I have four of them now if you look. I mean, this is not even possible,” Trump said in response to the indictment during a Fox Business interview on Thursday.  “Four, over the next, last couple of months. And frankly, it discredits everything. And they’re all very similar in the sense that they’re, there’s no basis for them.”

Trump called the indictment a "horrible thing for the country." Trump has been a vehement opponent of the inquiry and has claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Additionally, he urged Republicans to be more adamant in defending their beliefs and urged party members to hold firm. According to Trump, “The Republicans are great in many ways, but they don’t fight as hard for this stuff. And they have to get a lot tougher. And if they don’t they’re not going to have much of a Republican Party.”

Initial plans for a "news conference" to discuss the indictment and present supporting materials for his allegations of election fraud were made public by the former president. Later on, Trump changed his stance and declared in a post on his social media network Truth Social that his defense team would instead provide the proof in a formal legal filing as they attempt to challenge the indictment.

Trump wrote in the post, “Rather than releasing the Report on the Rigged & Stolen Georgia 2020 Presidential Election on Monday, my lawyers would prefer putting this, I believe, Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence of Election Fraud & Irregularities in formal Legal Filings as we fight to dismiss this disgraceful Indictment by a publicity & campaign finance seeking D.A., who sadly presides over a record breaking Murder & Violent Crime area, Atlanta. Therefore, the News Conference is no longer necessary!”

Trump and his aides are charged in the indictment, which was made public on Monday, with attempting to tamper with Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. The charges are the result of a careful examination of the actions taken by Trump and his supporters to overturn President Joe Biden's victory in the state.

Numerous people connected to Trump are included in the indictment, including Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, Jeffrey Clark, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis. These people are all accused of various offenses relating to the alleged election interference.

In February 2021, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened an investigation into possible state law breaches involving electoral fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, and participation in acts of violence or threats relating to the 2020 election. Trump and his co-defendants are accused of everything from making false statements to encouraging public servants to break their oaths of office.

For violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, among other potential punishments for the several counts brought against him, Trump could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in jail if found guilty, according to CNBC.