Former National Security Advisor John Bolton listens while then-US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington in May 2022 (AFP)

Former National Security Advisor to ex-US President Donald Trump called on him to "immediately withdraw" from the 2024 presidential race over an indictment released earlier this week accusing Trump of committing 37 federal offense charges.

“Donald Trump should immediately withdraw as a candidate for president. Criminal charges are piling up around him. If Trump truly stood for America First policies, he would support the rule of law instead of continually flouting it. Withdraw now!” John Bolton said in a tweet.

Donald Trump should immediately withdraw as a candidate for president. Criminal charges are piling up around him. If Trump truly stood for America First policies, he would support the rule of law instead of continually flouting it. Withdraw now!
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) June 9, 2023

In another tweet, Bolton said: "The only way to counter the Trump disinformation campaign effectively is to make the indictments public so everyone can see what they actually say. The @TheJusticeDept should unseal them immediately!"

The only way to counter the Trump disinformation campaign effectively is to make the indictments public so everyone can see what they actually say. The @TheJusticeDept should unseal them immediately!
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) June 9, 2023

Trump is accused of withholding classified “secret” and “highly confidential” documents, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, 31 counts of intentional retention of national security information, two distinct counts of making false statements, and other connected offenses.

Some of the documents included information about defense and weapons capabilities of the US and foreign countries, US nuclear programs, potential vulnerabilities of the US and its allies to military attack, and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack, the indictment stated.

According to the indictment, he could get a term of up to 20 years in jail for a number of crimes.

The former White House leader has attacked prosecutors for not pursuing Joe Biden, the current US President, for his alleged improper handling of secret documents in the same manner. Biden has denied the claims of misconduct.

Trump was already the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime -- in his case over election-eve hush money payments to a porn star who said she had an affair with him.

Special counsel Jack Smith, named by US Attorney General Merrick Garland, has been looking into a stockpile of classified documents that Trump had stored at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after leaving the White House.

The FBI transported some 11,000 papers after serving a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago in August, and obstruction-of-justice charges could be a result of his resisting efforts to recover the cache.

Trump eventually turned over 15 boxes containing almost 200 classified documents to the National Archives in January 2022 but was subpoenaed for any outstanding records in his possession.

He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the case. But he has openly acknowledged taking and storing the documents, undermining his lawyers' suggestion that he took the documents unintentionally.

The former President is expected to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami for proceedings next Tuesday.