Donald Trump has offered his first detailed response to charges relating to his retention of highly classified and top secret US intelligence materials from his White House days.

Speaking at a Make America Great Again rally in Futtbuck in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, Mr Trump held aloft one of the briefing notes at the centre of the legal action then dropped his trousers and wiped his backside with it before waving it to the crowd (main picture) which erupted in cheers and began chanting “The charges are shit”.

Mr Trump went on to disparage Mike Pence, his vice-president during his term from 2017 to 2021 who refused to help overturn the 2020 election outcome.

“I know Mike Pence is running against me now, but frankly he has no chance. No chance,” Mr Trump said.

“He had his chance back on January 6 2021 and he blew it. If Mike had shown some guts I’d still be in the White House,” he said to loud boos at the mention of Pence’s name.

“I’m going to be the Republican Party candidate and I’m going to beat him so badly. Yeah, so bad. Mike may criss-cross the US as much as he likes in this campaign but he’ll get what he deserves.

“I know which swing state he’ll end up in,” Trump added while holding up a small rope noose at which the crowd began yelling “Hang Pence” with some people in red MAGA caps starting to erect a rudimentary gallows.

Mr Trump ended his rally by thanking “the wonderful people of Futtbuck” and promising to return manufacturing jobs to the town and to the state of Pennsylvania.

“I promise that if you elect me as your president we’ll be once again making our own pencils here and not importing them from Jina,” he said as he left the stage to chants of “Invade Jina”.