Trump vows to ‘go after’ Biden’s family in bitter Truth Social rant before boarding Miami arraignment jet

Former president faces two separate criminal indictments

A vengeful Donald Trump swore that he’d get even with Joe Biden on Monday as he boarded a private jet to Miami where he is set to face his second criminal indictment this year.

The ex-president ranted on Truth Social that he planned to use the power of the federal government, should he be elected to the presidency in 2024, to personally target Mr Biden’s family.

“I WILL APPOINT A REAL SPECIAL ‘PROSECUTOR’ TO GO AFTER THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, JOE BIDEN, THE ENTIRE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY, & ALL OTHERS INVOLVED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR ELECTIONS, BORDERS, & COUNTRY ITSELF!” fumed Mr Trump in an all-caps rant posted around noon.

It was a stunning declaration that throws the future of America’s justice system into question as such a move would wholly eliminate the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice, should he be successful.

Mr Trump has been indicted on 37 criminal counts related to his handling of presidential records in the wake of his departure from the White House in January 2021. He separately faces 34 counts brought by prosecutors in New York related to a hush money scheme set up during his 2016 campaign for president.

He has loudly protested both investigations and declared his innocence; meanwhile, the Department of Justice’s indictment last week coincided with the release of several images purporting to show presidential records including potentially classified materials stored in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago.

Separately, the hush money scheme for which he now faces charges in New York was well-documented by journalists as well as his own former body man and “fixer, Michael Cohen, who was a key player in the arrangement.

The former president has long claimed to be innocent of all the various charges against him, and has pointed to the now-shuttered investigation into whether his 2016 campaign conspired with Russia as evidence of a supposed greater campaign by US law enforcement agencies to stop him from becoming president once again.

He has also long alleged that President Joe Biden’s family members are guilty of the same kind of corrupt dealings that his own family has been accused of taking part in by their political rivals. Republicans in the House have launched investigations aimed at uncovering that supposed criminal activity, but as of yet definitive proof of criminal behaviour or unsavoury dealings has yet to be found.

The Justice Department is thought to be investigating Mr Biden’s son Hunter for a handful of tax law violations, as well as for potentially having made a false statement while in the process of purchasing a firearm, though he is not thought to be under suspicion by authorities of corrupt or illegal foreign dealings, as Republicans have alleged.