Former US President Donald Trump has recently pleaded not guilty in a Washington DC court, where he confirmed his not-guilty plea, personal information, and stated that he was not under the influence of any substances.
He later addressed reporters, describing the case as "persecution of a political opponent." This marks his third appearance as a criminal defendant in the past four months.
During his arraignment, he entered through a backdoor of the courthouse, which is located in the center of the nation's capital, near the site of the US Capitol riot, which is a central aspect of the prosecution's case against him.
Around 1,000 defendants charged with participating in the storming of Congress on January 6, 2021, appeared in the same court building. During the hearing, the former president exchanged glances with Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the investigation.
Sitting and waiting for the hearing to start, the former president was seen twiddling his thumbs and shaking his head as the clerk read out the case number. His not-guilty plea covered the four charges listed in the latest indictment related to conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.
The judge sternly warned him not to communicate about the case's facts, emphasizing that failure to comply could lead to an arrest warrant, revoked release conditions, and contempt of court charges. Prosecutors requested a speedy trial for the case.
In response to the charges, Trump's defense attorney, John Lauro, expressed the need for more time to prepare, citing the prosecution's timeline as "somewhat absurd," considering the three-year duration of the investigation.
The indictment presented on Tuesday includes an allegation of "conspiracy to impair, obstruct, and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud, and deceit."
Following his election defeat to Democratic challenger Joe Biden in 2020, Trump refused to concede and pursued legal challenges across various US states. Currently, he is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican White House nomination and could potentially face a rematch with Biden.
After the arraignment, Trump spoke to reporters, stating that it was a "very sad day for America," before flying home to New Jersey in his private plane.
During a conversation with reporters, Trump expressed sadness at witnessing "the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti" in Washington DC.
Outside the court, one of his lawyers, Alina Habba, hinted at a possible defense strategy. She argued that the former president had received conflicting advice from his team after the election, indicating that while some acknowledged his election defeat, others may have advised differently.
Habba emphasized that like anyone else, the president had the right to consider multiple opinions before making decisions.
The indictment also includes six unnamed co-conspirators allegedly involved in helping Trump in his efforts to overturn the election results.
During Thursday's court hearing, three police officers who testified about their encounter with Trump supporters during the US Capitol riot were present, along with off-duty judges. Outside the courthouse, Trump supporters waving campaign flags and anti-Trump demonstrators gathered.
The next hearing, on August 28, is expected to be procedural, with a potential trial date set by the judge. Trump is facing charges in two other cases, involving mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to hide a hush-money payment to a porn star.
In total, he faces five upcoming trials, with three in New York related to the hush-money payment and civil trials over business practices and alleged defamation of a woman accusing him of rape. The fourth trial will take place in Florida, involving the alleged mishandling of classified documents.