Donald Trump was making his first public appearance since special counsel Jack Smith slapped him with new charges Thursday over his hoarding of classified documents at his Florida home after leaving office . Trump the only one of Republican hopefuls to get a standing ovation before he even spoke largely ignored a flurry of cases that could force him to split time between courtrooms and the campaign trail next year . He is also due to go on trial in March in a case in Manhattan relating to a hush money payment made to an adult film actress . Trump has tried to turn his precarious position into a campaign trail virtue by portraying himself as a victim of political persecution . But such is his strength in Iowa where he has a huge lead in the polls and nationally in the GOP that his major opponents avoided risking their own reception at Fridays dinner and their chances in January by raising the new charges . Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did stiffen his criticism of Trumps legal situation but did so offstage . Former Vice President Mike Pence implicitly raised questions about Trumps suitability for future office but also avoided openly criticizing his former White House partner Mike Pence . As well as the classified documents case Trump has said he expects to be indicted in another special counsel investigation into his attempt to overturn his election loss and his behavior in the U.S. Congress . Former Arkansas Gov. Asa went there but it didn’t do him any good but it didnt do him anything wrong. As it stands you will be voting in Iowa. He has a little little chance to be able to ignore his own own personal tragedy. It goes straight to the security of the security. It went straight to The Secret Service. As well to the Security of the Secret Service Service. He said he has been
Trump shows in Iowa he still rules the GOP — despite his deepening criminal peril . Trump
