Donald Trump indicted: Former president pleads not guilty for third time this year
Ashley Oliver Cami Mondeaux Kaelan Deese
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Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to four federal charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith alleging the former president coordinated with co-conspirators in an attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election.
Trump made the plea at his arraignment, which came just two days after a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., voted to bring four felonies against the former president: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights, according to the 45-page indictment.
DONALD TRUMP INDICTED: ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ARRAIGNMENT AT DC COURTHOUSE
After traveling by plane from his home in Bedminster, New Jersey, and landing in Washington, D.C., Trump entered E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse through an underground entrance at about 3:15 p.m. He appeared in the courtroom at about 3:50 p.m., donning his signature blue blazer and red tie.
Inside the courtroom were 11 reporters seated in the back rows, while U.S. marshals and Secret Service agents stood past a wooden barrier near a table closer to the judge’s desk.
Trump sat with his hands folded on top of a table while having frequent, brief conversations with his defense team.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya, who presided over the arraignment, first read through the charges against Trump and read him his rights.
When Upadhyaya asked Trump to state his full name, he replied, “Yes, your honor. Donald J. Trump. John.”
When asked to state his age, Trump stumbled, saying, “Seven-seven. 77.”
The judge then asked if he had taken any medications or anything that would make him unable to respond, and he replied, “No, I have not.”
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Outside the courthouse, Save America PAC attorney Alina Habba delivered remarks condemning the case minutes before the arraignment.
She called the case a “deflection” from investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings and laid out a timeline of dates to illustrate how Trump indictments appeared to overshadow key moments in the Biden investigations.