Trump Describes His Indictments as a 'Badge of Honor'

Former President Donald Trump is claiming that another criminal indictment would intensify his 2024 presidential election chances, boasting that they are a "badge of honor."

During a speech at a Republican event in Alabama on Friday, Trump told his supporters that he was thankful for all three of the indictments that he has been handed so far this year, maintaining that they were "truly great" for him.

"Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it a truly great badge of honor," Trump said. "Because I'm being indicted for you. Thanks a lot, thanks a lot. I appreciate that."

Trump then repeated a line that he has frequently used during his current presidential campaign, maintaining that prosecutors are actually attempting to attack his supporters instead of him but he "just happens to be standing in their way."

The former president's two most recent felony indictments were the result of Special Counsel Jack Smith's federal investigations into his handling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.

Trump's first criminal indictment, and the first for any president in U.S. history, was issued in March for felony charges of falsifying business records in New York state, stemming from an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The ex-president said during his speech on Friday that the indictments were causing his poll numbers to improve, predicting that no other 2024 candidate would have "a chance" if prosecutors give him another.

"Every time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls," said Trump. "We need one more indictment to close out this election. One more indictment and this election is closed out. Nobody has even a chance."

Trump may soon get his wish, with speculation mounting that the former president is likely to soon be hit with a fourth indictment stemming from Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation into his attempt to overturn President Joe Biden's 2020 victory in the Peach State.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the offices of Smith, Bragg and Willis via email on Friday night.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all of the criminal charges that he has been arraigned on so far, with the most recent arraignment hearing held in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. He denies all wrongdoing and maintains that he is the victim of political "persecution" and "election interference."

The indictments do not appear to have negatively impacted Trump's chances in the GOP primaries in any significant way and may have increased support among his base.

However, there have been multiple indications that the former president's legal woes could be massively detrimental to his political career, his hopes of winning the general election and any possibility of blocking the federal cases or pardoning himself from the White House.

Recent polls suggest that an increasing number of Republicans approve of the indictments and believe that the former president did something illegal.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that nearly half of Republicans, 45 percent, would not support Trump if he were to be convicted of a felony. Another 52 percent said that they would not support him if he were serving time in prison.