MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - APRIL 27: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Trump, who is currently dealing with a growing number of legal cases against him, is the Republican frontrunner for the Republican presidential ticket. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
When Donald Trump arrived in Miami on Monday for his court appearance on Tuesday, he immediately began a search to find a Florida lawyer willing to join his defense team.
The former president is making history as the first to face criminal charges for mishandling classified documents after his time in office and attempting to obstruct the Department of Justice’s investigation into the matter.
Trump has had a difficult time hiring and keeping lawyers since the 2016 presidential election when questions were raised about the integrity of his campaign. Since then, he has been the subject of multiple state and federal inquiries and has struggled to maintain a stable legal team.
On Monday, Trump and his aides met to discuss the case and interview potential lawyers.
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Though many prominent lawyers are being approached by the defense team, they are hesitant to join after Trump lawyers Jim Trusty and John Rowley resigned just last week. His lawyers now consist of Florida litigator Christopher Kise and New York attorney Todd Blanche.
Trump’s current associates have been struggling to agree on the best course of action as the documents case moves forward. Some believe that accusing the Justice Department of misconduct and weaponization of the legal system would help paint the indictment as illegitimate. Others are arguing for the assembly of a traditional defense team, claiming that the case can be won in Trump’s favor through careful jury selection.
There has been no comment from any of Trump’s legal associates regarding the search for a new lawyer.
Another question that has been raised is whether or not the defense team will aim to draw the case out, contrary to the special counsel’s hope for a speedy trial.
If Trump’s lawyers chose to slow the process down, they could engage in a number of acts such as seeking the dismissal of certain counts or requesting to see the classified evidence that was seized during the FBI’s investigation.
Trump was arraigned at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse in Miami.
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