Former U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to tape an interview with the Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier later this month, a spokesperson for the network confirmed to The Desk earlier this week.
The interview was arranged before news broke on Thursday that a federal grand jury had indicted Trump on seven criminal charges connected with the storage of classified documents at the former president’s Florida compound.
Trump confirmed the indictment in a written on post on his social media platform Truth Social. He later published a video in which he maintained his innocence.
The interview scheduled with Fox News would have marked Trump’s second appearance on the network since he announced his intention to campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election. Earlier this month, he participated in a town hall-style event with Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, which drew under 3 million overall viewers.
Trump was slated to tape the interview with Baier on Monday, June 19, with portions of the interview airing later in the day on the program “Special Report.” In light of Thursday’s news, it was not clear if the interview was still in the works. A Fox News spokesperson has not yet returned an after-hours email seeking confirmation.
Late Thursday evening, journalists with the Fox News website published an exclusive story based on an impromptu interview with Trump in which he colored the charges against him as a case of “election interference,” the network said.
“This is the most corrupt administration in history,” Trump said, according to the report. “There has never been an administration so corrupt, and they’re just starting to find it right now.”
The federal indictment against Trump has not been made public by the U.S. Department of Justice, whose special prosecutor Jack Smith has been probing the mishandling of classified documents since at least last year.
The charges have not been confirmed, but sources reportedly told the New York Times that they include violations of the Espionage Act with respect to the personal storage of classified defense materials, conspiracy and obstruction of justice, among other things.
Trump has been summoned to appear in federal court early next week, the newspaper said.
