Good evening and welcome to MSNBC's continuing special coverage of the special counsel's indictment

of Donald J. Trump.

I'm Alex Wagner and I'm joined here by my colleagues, Ari Melver, Joy Reed, Chris Hayes

and Laurence O'Donnell.

For the first time in our nation's history, the federal government has charged a former

president with multiple crimes.

And for the first time since this investigation began, America heard directly from the man

in charge special counsel, Jack Smith.

Today an indictment was unsealed, charging Donald J. Trump with felony violations of our

national security laws as well as participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice and our nation's

commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world.

We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.

The 38-count indictment against Trump and his personal valid and now co-defendant, Walt

Nouda, accuses the former president specifically of 31 counts of willful retention of national

defense information, three counts of withholding or concealing documents in a federal investigation,

two counts of false statements and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

According to the indictment, the classified documents Trump stored in his boxes included

information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and

foreign countries, United States nuclear programs, potential vulnerabilities of the United

States and its allies to military attack, and plans for possible retaliation in response

to a foreign attack.

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