Former President Donald Trump waves as he steps off his plane in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 3, 2023, to answer to four federal criminal charges surrounding the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.Photo:AP Photo/Alex Brandon
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Trump pleaded not guilty to all four counts with which he was charged: 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.
Trump’s motorcade was photographed heading toward the courthouse around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, with those inside the courtroom reporting that the former president could be seen with his hands crossed and head down.
In an extraordinary moment, Trump was asked to stand and enter his own plea, after which he reportedly looked straight ahead at the judge to enter a plea of “not guilty.” During earlier hearings, Trump’s attorneys have entered the pleas on his behalf.
Supporters of Donald Trump outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty
An indictment released earlier this week alleges that Trump, after losing the 2020 presidential election, “was determined to remain in power.” The indictment also lists several unnamed co-conspirators, including four attorneys, a Justice Department official, and a political consultant who “helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification” of votes.
“So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the Defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won,” it reads.
Smith also touted the work of the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol that day, noting that “they did not just defend a building … they put their lives on the line to defend who we are as a country and as a people.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who has led both federal investigations into former President Donald Trump.MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty
Trump has repeatedly attacked Smith, whom he called “deranged” on social media moments before the indictment was released.
“I hear that Deranged Jack Smith, in order to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, will be putting out yet another Fake Indictment of your favorite President, me, at 5:00 P.M. Why didn’t they do this 2.5 years ago? Why did they wait so long? Because they wanted to put it right in the middle of my campaign. Prosecutorial Misconduct!” he wrote.
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This marks the third arraignment of the twice-impeached former president, who has been indicted in two other cases this year — one overalleged hush money paymentsmade to women surrounding the 2016 election, in which he pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts, and a federal caserelated to his handling of classified documentsafter leaving the White House, in which he pleaded not guilty to the initial 37 counts and has not yet entered a plea tothree additional countstacked on in late July.
In total,Trump is accused of 78 separate criminal offensesbetween the cases.
Trump’s case was assigned to Obama-appointed Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, whom MSNBC’s Kyle Griffinreportsis the only federal judge in Washington to give Jan. 6 rioters longer sentences than prosecutors recommended.
Chutkan ruled against Trump in his 2021 attempt to block the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots from accessing relevant records. Her ruling earned national attention for declaring that “Presidents are not kings.”
source: people.com
