The federal indictment is the second time that Trump has been charged criminally this year. In April, the Manhattan district attorney charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, reports CNN.

But the special counsel indictment marks a new and more perilous legal phase for Trump, who is running for president again in 2024 while facing criminal charges in two jurisdictions – and with two additional investigations into his conduct still underway, the American news channel reported.

Donald Trump and his advisers are "very jacked up right now," a person who spoke with the former president told CNN.

The team feels emboldened by the federal indictment, and is "ready to fight back," the person said.

As of now Trump is still expected to attend his campaign stops in Georgia and North Carolina this weekend, his adviser told CNN.