COLUMBUS, Ga. — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday blasted his historic federal indictment as “ridiculous” and “baseless,” saying in his first public appearance since the charges were unsealed that the 37 felony counts were an attack on his supporters as he tried to turn legal peril into political advantage.

Speaking at the Georgia Republican Convention, Trump cast his indictment by the Department of Justice as an attempt to hurt his chances of returning to the White House as he campaigns for a second term in office.

“They’ve launched one witch hunt after another to try and stop our movement, to thwart the will of the American people,” Trump said, later adding, “In the end, they’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you.”

The strategy is a well-worn one for Trump, who remains the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination despite his mounting legal woes.

He also was scheduled to speak Saturday night in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The indictment unsealed Friday charged him with 37 felony counts in connection with his hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The most serious charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 20 years each, but first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence.

Trump anticipated a hero’s welcome at the party conventions in both states.

“Trump is a fighter, and the kinds of people that attend these conventions love a fighter,” said Jack Kingston, a former Georgia congressman who supported Trump’s White House campaigns in 2016 and 2020.

About 100 supporters, some waving “Witch Hunt” signs, were at the Columbus airfield to greet Trump.