Two of Donald Trump's lawyers have sensationally quit after his indictment as the ex-president launches a rant about a "sick group of people."
Lawyers Jim Trusty and John Rowley, who represented Mr Trump in the months before he was indicted on federal charges over his handling of classified documents, have said they will no longer represent the former president.
The pair did not explain why they had quit working for him but said "this is a logical moment" to do so given the 76-year-old was indicted on Thursday at the US District Court in Miami.
Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform he would now be represented by Todd Blanche, a New York lawyer, who is representing the former president in another criminal case in Manhattan Supreme Court.
He is charged there with falsifying business records in relation to paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case.
The former president launched a blistering rant, writing: "For purposes of fighting the Greatest Witch Hunt of all time, now moving to the Florida Courts, I will be represented by Todd Blanche, Esq., and a firm to be named later.
"I want to thank Jim Trusty and John Rowley for their work, but they were up against a very dishonest, corrupt, evil, and “sick” group of people, the likes of which has not been seen before.
"We will be announcing additional lawyers in the coming days. When will Joe Biden be Indicted for his many crimes against our Nation? MAGA!"
In a joint statement, lawyers Mr Trusty and Mr Rowley wrote: “This morning we tendered our resignations as counsel to President Trump, and we will no longer represent him on either the indicted case or the January 6 investigation.”
“It has been an honor to have spent the last year defending him, and we know he will be vindicated in his battle against the Biden Administration’s partisan weaponization of the American justice system,” the attorneys said.
“Now that the case has been filed in Miami, this is a logical moment for us to step aside and let others carry the cases through to completion.
“We have no plans to hold media appearances that address our withdrawals or any other confidential communications we’ve had with the President or his legal team.
In August last year, federal agents seized approximately 100 classified documents from Trump's property in Palm Beach, Florida.
It came after allegations that he'd taken around 300 classified records from the White House after leaving office.
The federal indictment against the former president includes seven charges which carry a maximum prison sentence of 75 years if he's convicted on all counts.
Meanwhile, a long-time Donald Trump aide known as a 'body man', Walt Nauta, has reportedly been indicted into special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the former president's handling of classified documents, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Mr Trump confirmed the news during a post on Truth Social.
He said: “I have just learned that the ‘Thugs from the Department of Injustice will be Indicting a wonderful man, Walt Nauta, a member of the U.S. Navy, who served proudly with me in the White House, retired as Senior Chief, and then transitioned into private life as a personal aide."
Mr Trump claimed federal investigators were “trying to destroy his life”. “He is strong, brave, and a Great Patriot. The FBI and DOJ are CORRUPT!”
According to CNN, the 40-year-old was involved in shifting boxes of the classified documents from the ex-president's home in Florida.
He initially denied moving the boxes in the special counsel's investigation but CCTV footage seized by the FBI allegedly shows him there.
Mr Nauta later admitted in a second interview he had moved documents at Mr Trump's direction. before deciding to stop cooperating with investigators, according to reports.
