Indictment looms as Trump told he's a 'criminal target in election probe

On Tuesday, former US President Donald Trump — in a letter received from special counsel Jack Smith — was told that he was a "criminal target" in the ongoing investigation into his unethical efforts to rig the 2020 elections.

Trump addressed the letter in a post on Truth Social, claiming that the "target letter" he had gotten on Sunday night had given him the opportunity to address the grand jury, later this week at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC.

“Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

"And giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment,” Trump continued, hinting at his growing fears of getting indicted soon in the classified documents criminal case filed against him

According to the indictment, Trump had kept classified files which included classified records from the Pentagon, CIA and National Security Agency unsecured at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, AFP reported.

According to Politico, even while it's unclear the particular offences Smith is considering, it's the most obvious indication yet that he's close to asking for an indictment of Trump.

The revelation comes ahead of the hearing in the classified documents criminal case which is scheduled for Tuesday in Florida federal court.

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers have requested that any trial in that case take place after the 2024 election but Smith’s prosecutors opposed that bid, according to CNBC.

In his Truth Social post, Trump argued that he has "the right to protest an Election that I am fully convinced was Rigged and Stolen" and said he was being targeted because of the upcoming election.

"The Justice Department has "effectively issued a third indictment and Arrest of Joe Biden´s NUMBER ONE POLITICAL OPPONENT, who is largely dominating him in the race for the Presidency," Trump said. "Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before, or even close."

However, according to The Washington Post, a target letter does not necessarily mean charges will be brought against the recipient.