Trump says criminal charges against him would unleash 'big problems' in an allusion to violence

• Former President Donald Trump hinted that there could be 'big problems' if he is indicted.
• Trump didn't reject that he was referring to violence, but said his comments were "not inciting."

Former President Donald Trump warned on Thursday that if he is criminally indicted, there would be "big problems," an allusion to street violence that the ex-president didn't reject.

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said of a potential indictment, "I don't think the people of the United States would stand for it."

He added: "I think you'd have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps, we've never seen before."

Trump's remarks come over a month after federal authorities conducted a search at his Mar-a-Lago estate as part of its investigation into his handling of government documents — over 100 documents recovered were marked as classified.

Following the news of the FBI search at his Florida residence, there were renewed calls among conservative groups and his supporters for a civil war in the country. In the charged atmosphere, Trump had warned that the country is "in a dangerous position" and that Americans "are not going to stand for another scam," rhetoric that simultaneously feeds the anger of his supporters and normalizes the possibility of violence without explicitly urging it.

In the Thursday radio interview, Hewitt broached the possibility his comments could be taken as condoning violence.

Trump replied: "That's not inciting. I'm just saying my opinions. I don't think the people of this would stand for it."

Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, denounced the former president's latest remarks on Thursday saying that they are "careless" and added that "inflammatory rhetoric has its consequences."

Political scientists have warned that the US could see violence similar to the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol that left seven dead and more than 140 police officers injured.

"When you have politicians who are riling everyone up and law enforcement that is sort of wishy-washy or weak in its response, then I think you have a really volatile mix that emboldens these kinds of groups to continue with what they're doing,"Carole Emberton, a history professor at the University at Buffalo who specializes in the American Civil War, said in a previous interview with Insider.

The Justice Department's probe into Trump's handling of government records comes against the backdrop of several other investigations involving the former president.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Trump and his associates attempted to interfere in Georgia's 2020 election results. New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a civil investigation of the Trump Organization and its business practices. And a House select committee is investigating Trump's role in the US Capitol attack.

Trump told Hewitt in the interview that he did not do anything wrong and believes that the Justice Department will not indict him. He also added that an indictment against him is 'no prohibition' on him running for president in 2024.

Legal experts told Insider that technically Trump could run for president even if he is charged, convicted and put behind bars. The constitution only requires presidential candidates to be at least 35 years old and a natural born US citizen.