Donald Trump retains his base with risk of political violence in focus

Former US president Donald Trump is broadly holding on to his Republican base as he heads to court to face federal charges that are raising concern about the risk of violence incited by some of his most fervent supporters.

With Trump facing a 37-count indictment for mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, about three quarters of likely Republican primary voters in a CBS News/YouGov poll said they view the accusations as politically motivated.

Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, dismissed the indictment during two speeches at Republican state conventions over the weekend and in a stream of social-media posts, while using it to raise funds for his presidential run. He told delegates in North Carolina that he was “indicted over nothing”.

The former president is scheduled to appear in US District Court in Miami on Tuesday in the case, which significantly expands his legal jeopardy and will test the loyalty of his diehard base.

“SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!!” he posted on his TruthSocial platform.

While Trump portrays the indictment as a plot by his political foes to knock him out of the 2024 race, some of his congressional supporters are using combative imagery in his defence.