Donald Trump is 'toast' if indictment correct, William Barr says

Mr Barr criticised his former boss and said he had no right to keep the files allegedly found at his home.

Mr Trump will appear in court in Miami on Tuesday to face dozens of charges accusing him of illegally retaining classified information.

He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Mr Barr, who was Mr Trump's attorney general from February 2019 until December 2020, defended the 37-count indictment made public by Special Counsel Jack Smith on Friday.

"I was shocked by the degree of sensitivity of these documents and how many there were... and I think the counts under the Espionage Act that he wilfully retained those documents are solid counts," he said.

"If even half of it is true, then he's toast. It's a very detailed indictment and it's very damning."

"Battle plans for an attack on another country or... documents about our capabilities are in no universe Donald J Trump's personal documents," Mr Barr said. "They are government documents."

The 73-year-old was once one of Mr Trump's staunchest allies, but has been increasingly critical of him since leaving office.

Many prominent Republicans have been hesitant to criticise the former president, who is the frontrunner to be the party's presidential candidate in 2024, and have instead targeted the justice department and the broader investigation.

Mr Barr, however, said the suggestion the indictment is politically motivated was "ridiculous".

-bbc