White House says had no prior knowledge of Trump indictment

The White House said Friday that it had no prior knowledge of the indictment of former President Donald Trump and didn't weigh in on the matter. 

Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters that President Joe Biden learned about the indictment “just like everybody else last night.”

“No advanced knowledge that this was coming — found out from news reports just like everybody else across America,” Dalton said, according to the Washington Times.

Trump announced via TRUTH Social that the DOJ had ordered him to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday to face arraignment.

CNN has reported that he faces seven counts in relation to the case. Trump himself surmised that the charges relate to the FBI's August 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate and the seizure of materials he had stored there.

Dalton said that Biden would not comment on the matter and wanted to respect the Justice Department's independence. 

“We are just not going to comment on this case and would refer you to the DOJ, which runs its criminal investigations independently,” Dalton stated. “This is a president who respects the rule of law; he’s said that from day one. That’s precisely why we’re not commenting here.”