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Reactions to charges against Donald Trump in classified documents case

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Reactions to charges against Donald Trump in classified documents case

June 9 (Reuters) – Court documents made public on Friday detailed 37 criminal counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump, including charges of unauthorized retention of classified documents and conspiracy to obstruct justice after he left the White House in 2021.

Following are some reactions to the news:

* Jack Smith, special counsel in the case:

“Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and must be enforced. Violation of those laws put our country at risk.”

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*Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as reported by Fox News on Twitter:

The charges are “going to disrupt this nation because it goes to the core of equal justice for all, which is not being seen today. And we’re not going to stand for it,”

*President Joe Biden

Asked if he had spoken to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland soon after the indictment against Trump was unsealed, Biden said: “I have not spoken to him at all and I’m not going to.”

*Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and Republican presidential hopeful

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“I think there needs to be one standard of justice in this country,” DeSantis said in remarks on Friday night, not mentioning Trump by name.

“Hillary had the emails,” DeSantis said. “Is there a different standard for a Democrat secretary of state versus a former Republican president?”

*Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential hopeful

“The facts that are laid out here are damning in terms of Donald Trump’s conduct, and that’s what I think we as a party should be looking at. Do we really believe that someone who engaged in this type of conduct is going to be the best person to put up against Joe Biden?”

*Sarah Matthews, former White House deputy press secretary under Trump

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“All the 2024 GOP candidates and Republicans who rushed to defend Trump before the indictment was unsealed seem to have a lot of egg on their faces now. This indictment is highly detailed and troubling.”

*Daniel Richman, a professor at Columbia Law School and former federal prosecutor

“The indictment stitched together considerable evidence of conscious and sustained wrongdoing and utter contempt for normal government processes. … Critical details are the references to top secret materials and the litany of Trump comments about classification regimes — the need for others to respect them but willful disregard of them on his own part.”

*Senator John Barrasso, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference

“This indictment certainly looks like an unequal application of justice. … Large amounts of classified materials were found in President Biden’s garage in Delaware. No indictment. Hillary Clinton had a computer server in her house with classified documents. No indictment. … You can’t help but ask why this is happening. It feels political, and it’s rotten.”

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*Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow

“He stored highly classified documents in his bathroom!? Talk about a sh*tshow.”

*Georgetown University law professor Todd Huntley

“Between surveillance video footage, text messages and this audio recording, they have very strong evidence of the willful and intentional retention of those documents.”

*Republican U.S. Representative Andy Briggs

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“We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.”

*Matt Bennett, co-founder of center-left think tank Third Way

“It’s impossible to bet against Trump’s staying power with the Republican base. … If I had to bet, I’d pick Trump to win the nomination. But this conduct charged in this indictment is even worse than we expected – that might break through.”

*Former Republican Representative Denver Riggleman

“For someone who has taken a oath to this country as an enlisted troop, commissioned intel officer and Congressman — and held the highest clearance levels — reading the Trump indictment is akin to setting my American soul on fire. Any elected official who defends Trump is unserious and worthy of contempt.”

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Compiled by Reuters; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

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Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

An estimated 104 journalists lost their lives in 2024, with Palestine the most dangerous territory.

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An estimated 104 journalists were killed worldwide over the past year, according to data shared earlier this month by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Another report by NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) puts the figure at 54, but its methodology means it only includes killings that are considered “directly related” to journalists’ professional activity.

Both organisations say that Palestine is the deadliest place on earth for journalists. More than half (55) of the 104 killings reported by IFJ were Palestinian media professionals in Gaza, while a further six were killed in Lebanon.

At least 138 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on 7 October 2023, making the country one of the “most dangerous in the history of modern journalism, behind Iraq, the Philippines and Mexico,” according to the IFJ.

Reporters without Borders has described the number of killings in Gaza as “an unprecedented bloodbath”.

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Israel firmly denies it has intentionally targeted any journalists, but has recognised some that have been killed in its airstrikes on Gaza.

The 104 total killings reported by the IFJ is a slight decrease on the 129 they reported on in 2023, which is considered the bloodiest year for journalists since 1990.

How do other world regions fare?

Asia Pacific is the world’s second most dangerous region for journalists, after the Middle East, according to the IFJ.

It recorded 20 deaths in the region in 2024, of which 70% happened in the southern Asian countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The region has seen an “upsurge” in violence, according to the IFJ, with deaths increasing sharply from the 12 recorded in 2023.

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Africa was the third most dangerous region for journalists at eight deaths, five of them in war-torn Sudan.

The number of journalists killed in south, central and north America has dropped sharply over the past two years, from 30 in 2022 to six in 2023, and another six in 2024. Mexico, considered to be one of the deadliest places in the world to do journalism, continues to see “threats, intimidation, kidnappings and murders” against journalists, particularly due to reporting on drug trafficking.

Number of journalists behind bars on the rise

According to IFJ estimates on 10 December, there were 520 journalists in prison across the world, considerably more than in 2023 (427) and 2022 (375).

China, including Hong Kong, accounts for most of journalists behind bars, followed by Israel and Myanmar.

The IFJ says the figures show how “fragile” the independent press is and how “risky and dangerous” the profession of journalism has become.

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant
Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.
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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. 

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. 

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. 

The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families. 

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations. 

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner. 

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple. 

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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with. 

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence. 

Coquito

Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

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A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source. 

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before. 

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast. 

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo. 

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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico. 

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com. 

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

Woman Wrapping Christmas Gifts

Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)

 

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Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season. 

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades. 

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