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Former President Donald Trump lashed out at TV presenter George Stephanopoulos in a rant on his social media platform Truth Social over supposed comments on his Florida classified documents case.
The former president said "Liddle' George StepaDOPEalis" made a pitch on "ABC FAKE NEWS."
It is not clear what comments by the former White House communications director and adviser to President Bill Clinton that Trump was referring to, but Stephanopoulos did present an ABC show titled The Year, which aired on the channel on Wednesday evening.
Stephanopoulos reviewed the alleged crimes Trump is accused of in a show segment summarizing the year in politics.
The 45th president is alleged to have committed 91 offences over four criminal indictments including 40 related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House.
Trump denies all of the charges against him and says they are politically motivated. He lashed out against the case, Stephanopoulos and President Joe Biden in comments on Truth Social.
"Crooked Joe Biden didn't cooperate on the Documents Case, just the opposite," Trump said. "It is the pitch that Liddle' George StepaDOPEalis just made on ABC FAKE NEWS...
"The Fake News and their partners in crime, the Radical Left Democrats, are looking for a way to explain how they can let Biden off the hook, when he's guilty as hell, but hold 'TRUMP' accountable, when he's totally innocent."
It is believed Trump was referring to documents found in Biden's former office, the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C., and at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. The documents relate to his time as vice president under President Barack Obama.
Reports from November indicate Biden won't face charges.
Newsweek has reached out via email to the White House, Stephanopoulos and representatives for Trump for comment.
In Florida, Trump faces 32 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information and eight other charges that include making false statements and a conspiracy to conceal them.
In Stephanopoulos' video, ABC'S chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas told viewers the "documents were piled on the stage... the documents were in a bathroom," referring to photographs taken from Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
In Florida, Trump is indicted on the following charges.
- Altering, destroying, mutilating or concealing an object - one count
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice - one count
- Concealing a document in a federal investigation - one count
- Scheme to conceal - one count
- False statements and representations - one count
- Withholding a document or record - one count
- Corruptly concealing a document or record - one count
- Corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating or concealing a document, record or other object - one count
- Retention of national defense information - 32 counts
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About the writer
Benjamin Lynch is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is U.S. politics and national affairs and he ... Read more