Trump Aide Blasts 'Bogus' Grand Jury After Testifying

A former Trump aide who now leads his 2024 campaign's political action committee blasted a "bogus" federal grand jury investigation into Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as well as whether he willfully obstructed efforts to prevent the government from retrieving classified documents he is accused of illegally removing from the White House.

Shortly after testifying in Miami on Wednesday, Taylor Budowich—a former spokesperson for the president and head of the president's Make America Great Again PAC—slammed the case as a troubling attempt by the U.S. government to "get" the former president on trumped-up charges.

"America has become a sick and broken nation—a decline led by Joe Biden and power-hungry Democrats," he wrote in a Twitter post addressing his testimony, which according to media reports lasted less than one hour. "I will not be intimidated by this weaponization of government. For me, the need to unite our nation and make America great again has never been more clear than it is today. That starts with re-electing President Donald J. Trump, a purpose I will not be deterred from pursuing."

Newsweek reached out to MAGA Inc. via email for comment.

Budowich's testimony comes as many legal observers believe the case against Trump is strengthening, with some speculating that potential charges on crimes ranging from obstruction of justice to the illegal removal of classified information could be inevitable.

Last week, several top prosecutors released a memo outlining a model case against the former president arguing that the publicly available evidence against Trump was likely sufficient to bring criminal charges, while more recent developments suggest Special Prosecutor Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's alleged crimes is likely coming to a head.

On Wednesday, several media outlets reported former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows had taken questions under oath in relation to the classified documents probe as well as other potential crimes related to Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.

A key figure in both inquiries, Meadows has fallen under increased scrutiny by investigators after his former aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified last year she had heard Meadows express the former president's sentiments those overheard chanting "hang Mike Pence" during the January 6 riots were "doing anything wrong."

Hutchison also allegedly saw Meadows burn documents "once or twice a week" in the lead-up to the January 6 attack.

While Budowich claimed efforts to investigate Trump's actions were "bogus," others argue the effort will prove to be a necessary deterrent to future illegal activity and guarantee nobody is above the law.

"It is difficult to predict the outcome of any case. Trump himself is a bit of a wildcard because of his unconventional behavior," University of Michigan legal scholar and former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade told Newsweek over the weekend. "That said, it is important to hold Trump and others accountable when they abuse their stewardship of our nation's sensitive secrets."

"The goal of prosecution is to deter others who might abuse their privilege," she added. "Unauthorized disclosure of classified information that only compromises our sources and methods of collection, but it also makes allies reluctant to share secrets with us in the first place. All of these factors damage our national security."