Former US President Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty to Conspiracy Charges Overturned 2020 Presidential Election Defeat
Washington DC – Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a Washington DC court on Tuesday to conspiring to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat. This marks Trump’s historic third appearance as a criminal defendant in four months.
During a short arraignment, Trump spoke softly to confirm his name, age, and that he was not under the influence of any substances. Later, Trump told reporters that the case was a persecution of a political opponent.
The former president entered the courthouse through a backdoor, just yards away from the US Capitol, the site of the January 6, 2021 riot that is central to the prosecution’s case. Trump exchanged glances across the court with Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the investigation.
Observers noted Trump twiddling his thumbs as he sat waiting for the hearing to begin, and shaking his head as the clerk read out the case number. Trump had flown in on his private plane, Trump Force One, from his New Jersey residence to attend the hearing.
The not-guilty plea, entered by Trump’s lawyer John Lauro, covered the four charges made in this latest indictment. The charges include conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.
Hours before the arraignment, Trump addressed his supporters on his Truth Social platform, claiming that he had challenged what he believed was a “corrupt, rigged and stolen election”. The 2020 presidential election, which Trump decisively lost, was subject to weeks of uncertainty and challenges across several US states.
The new allegations laid out in the indictment include a count of “conspiracy to impair, obstruct, and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud, and deceit”.
Prosecutors argued for a speedy trial, but Trump’s legal team requested additional time to prepare for a fair trial. Trump has been warned against communicating about the facts of the case.
Speaking to reporters before heading back to New Jersey, Trump described his arraignment as a “very sad day for America”. He expressed sadness over the condition of Washington DC, noting “the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti.” Trump characterized the election case as a persecution of a political opponent and stated that such events were never supposed to happen in America.
Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya presided over Tuesday’s arraignment, while Judge Tanya Chutkan is set to handle the criminal trial at a later date. The next hearing is scheduled for August 28 and is expected to involve procedural matters.
This is not the first time Trump has faced legal challenges. He has already been charged in two other cases, including mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a porn star.
Despite the mounting legal cases and costs, Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president in the next year’s election. A crowd of Trump supporters waving campaign flags rallied outside the courthouse, while anti-Trump demonstrators were also present.