Trump to continue White House run even if he's convicted of crimes

Former president says he handed over security tapes and maintains his innocence

Former US president Donald Trump delivers remarks at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. AFP

Donald Trump vowed on Friday that he would remain in the race for the 2024 presidential election even if he is convicted of criminal charges in any of the cases he faces.

Mr Trump, the first president to be impeached twice and the first to be criminally charged, was asked if a conviction would stop his campaign.

“Not at all. There's nothing in the constitution to say that it could,” the Republican front-runner told right-wing radio host John Fredericks.

“And even the radical left crazies are saying not at all, that wouldn't stop [me] – and it wouldn't stop me either. These people are sick. What they are doing is absolutely horrible.”

Federal prosecutors on Thursday issued Mr Trump with three additional federal charges in his classified documents case. He was already facing 37 charges.

Mr Trump had suggested, without evidence, that his predecessors Barack Obama and George W Bush had also taken or concealed documents after leaving office.

The former president added that he did not believe he was required to hand over security footage from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

“These were security tapes. We handed them over to them. … I'm not even sure what they're saying,” he said, according to Reuters.

In announcing the new charges on Thursday, special counsel Jack Smith's office added a new defendant in the case: Carlos de Oliveira, a maintenance worker at the estate, was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.

According to federal prosecutors, Mr de Oliveira told another Mar-a-Lago employer that “the boss” wanted surveillance camera footage.

“They went after two fine employees yesterday, fine people,” Mr Trump said.

“They're trying to intimidate people so that people go out and make up lies about me. Because I did nothing wrong.”

The former president's aide, Walt Nauta, is a co-defendant in the case.

Mr Trump's case in Florida stems from his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the Oval Office in 2021.

According to CNN, Mr Trump had publicly discussed one of the documents – believed to be focused on Iran – in question.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled to begin next May.