Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday evening defended himself against accusations of mishandling classified government documents by saying he was “very busy” and couldn’t sort them out. 

In an unusually tough interview with conservative Fox News channel, Trump, who hopes to be reelected in 2024, was questioned by host Bret Baier about dozens of charges he is facing over failing to give classified documents to the National Archives after leaving the White House in 2021.  

"In my case, I took it out pretty much in a hurry, but people packed it up and we left. And I had clothing in there, I had all sorts of personal items in there - much much stuff,” Trump said. 

"I have every right to have those boxes," he stated, a week after being formally presented with 37 changes in a Miami court. 

The Department of Justice accuses Trump of violating the Espionage Act and other laws when he kept classified documents upon leaving office, which was later discovered by the FBI. 

When asked by Baier why he did not hand over documents when asked by officials, Trump said he was “very busy as you've sort of seen.”

"Because I had boxes -- I want to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out. I don't want to hand that over... yet," the politician claimed.