Trump has a mountain of issues to deal with.
Sarah Matthews, a former Deputy Press Secretary at the White House, anticipates that the recent retraction of a statement by a former Mar-a-Lago employee in a federal classified documents case involving Donald Trump could foreshadow future developments for the ex-president.
According to Newsweek, in the past week, Donald Trump was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, and had his booking photo taken following an indictment by a grand jury, along with 18 others. They face charges of allegedly attempting to manipulate the results of the state’s 2020 election.
This marks the fourth indictment Trump has faced this year. The prior charges include allegations of hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, and the aforementioned classified documents case where he is accused of retaining classified records he should have returned upon leaving the White House.
Matthews shared her insights on CNN’s Sara Sidner’s show, stating, “I believe we’ll witness more individuals turning against Trump in various cases. Especially in the case you mentioned, the documents issue, we have reason to believe there’s a person who may have cooperated, and I think that’s a valid assumption. Trump expects loyalty from everyone but rarely reciprocates, so he wouldn’t hesitate to distance himself from these individuals, making this a crucial aspect.“
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen expressed concerns about the legal consequences Trump could face due to potential cooperation from his co-defendants, mentioning individuals like Meadows, Sidney Powell, and Rudy Giuliani, whose mounting legal fees have put him in a dire financial situation.
Reports indicate that on September 7, Trump plans to host a high-priced dinner at his New Jersey Bedminster Golf Club, with a cost of $100,000 per guest. This move is seen by some as an attempt to prevent Giuliani from turning on Trump, despite Giuliani’s insistence that he did nothing wrong in Georgia.
Nathan Price, an associate professor of political science and international affairs at the University of North Georgia, suggests that Trump’s financial and political interests might motivate him to help Giuliani cover his legal expenses, preventing another close associate from becoming a potential witness against him.
Federal prosecutors recently revealed that Yuscil Taveras, an IT worker at Mar-a-Lago, originally denied any involvement or knowledge of security footage discussions related to Trump’s Palm Beach residence. However, after changing legal representation, Taveras retracted his previous statements and implicated not only Trump but also Trump aide Walt Nauta and maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira.
Drawing parallels, Matthews likened Taveras’ situation to that of Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to ex-Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who is among those indicted in Georgia. There is speculation whether Hutchinson might turn against her former boss. Hutchinson initially had representation from Stefan Passantino, a former member of the Trump White House counsel’s office, but she switched attorneys after alleged tampering with her testimony.
Jenna Ellis, a former Trump attorney who had not received legal aid from Trump, has managed to raise significant funds through online crowdfunding efforts, exceeding $100,000.