Receive free Donald Trump updates
We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Donald Trump news every morning.
Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday during a first court appearance in the latest criminal case brought against him, in which the former US president is accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The hearing at federal court in downtown Washington came two days after the Department of Justice charged him with four criminal counts including conspiracies to defraud the US and to obstruct official proceedings.
Jack Smith, the special counsel who oversaw the investigation against Trump, was present in the courtroom but did not join the prosecutors’ table, sitting instead on a bench facing his colleagues. Trump, who has previously described Smith as a “deranged lunatic”, entered the courtroom shortly before 4pm.
Trump uttered a handful of words during the proceeding, including “Yes”, his name, and his age — “seven, seven” — while maintaining a serious appearance and frowning occasionally. He shook his head as court officials read out his case number.
While waiting for the arrival of magistrate judge Moxila Upadhyaya, who was 15 minutes late, Trump repeatedly tapped his hands together.
While Thursday’s hearing kicked off what is deemed to be a grave new legal threat to him, the proceedings fell into a now familiar routine following his arraignment in two separate criminal cases in New York and Miami in recent months.
The two earlier hearings attracted large crowds outside the courthouses, but the mood in Washington was more subdued ahead of Thursday’s appearance.
Police officers lined the perimeter of the courthouse, which is just a few blocks from the US Capitol building, where a mob of Trump’s supporters sought to block the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory on January 6 2021. That violent riot is central to the criminal case against Trump.
A handful of people outside the court held American flags, with one holding a yellow flag reading “Don’t tread on me”, which was also displayed by some January 6 rioters. The mixed crowd included people holding an umbrella with the phrase “Lock him up” and signs reading “Trump is over”. Another bystander wore a blonde wig and an orange prisoner jumpsuit while holding a poster saying “indicted”.
During the 27 minute proceeding, judge Upadhyaya set a first hearing on August 28 and gave Trump the option to not appear in person.
John Lauro, one of Trump’s lawyers, said he would ask the court to not consider the speedy trial sought by prosecutors. Under federal statute, a speedy trial must begin within 70 days from the day an indictment is filed.
“For the government to suggest this . . . is somewhat absurd given the scope of the information we have to go through,” Lauro said. “The US has had three and a half years to investigate this matter.”
Federal prosecutor Thomas Windom said the case would “benefit from normal order including a speedy trial” and that the government would “endeavour” to share discovery with the defence “quickly”.
Trump blasted the indictment as the “persecution of a political opponent” in brief remarks at Washington’s Reagan National Airport before boarding his plane to head back to his golf club at Bedminster, New Jersey.
Holding his own umbrella under light rain, he said it was a “sad day” and lamented the “graffiti” on the buildings of the US capital. “This is not the place that I left,” Trump said.
He attacked the decision to charge him. “This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot,” he said. “So if you can’t beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him. We can’t let this happen in America.”
Trump has vowed to pursue his campaign despite mounting legal challenges at federal and state level, and remains the clear frontrunner among Republicans seeking the party’s nomination to challenge Biden in the 2024 vote, even as the criminal cases against him mount.
The indictment unsealed on Tuesday alleges Trump launched a “criminal scheme” to stop the certification of Biden’s legitimate win alongside six co-conspirators. It is the second set of criminal charges brought against Trump by Smith, who was appointed by US attorney-general Merrick Garland.
Trump also appeared in person in a Miami federal court in June on charges of mishandling sensitive government documents related to national defence. He pleaded not guilty to dozens of criminal counts in that case too, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
Trump’s rivals for the Republican presidential nomination have mostly refrained from criticising him, while attacking the DoJ for “weaponising” the justice system against political foes. Trump’s vice-president Mike Pence and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie have been exceptions.
Thursday’s arraignment — Trump’s third this year — may not be his last. A special grand jury in Georgia has also been investigating alleged interference in the 2020 polls by Trump and others. If local prosecutors decide to bring a separate case, it will probably materialise in the coming weeks.
Trump became the first former US president to be criminally charged four months ago when he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case brought by the Manhattan district attorney. He was accused of masterminding a scheme aimed at quashing negative stories ahead of his 2016 presidential candidacy, which included a payment to an adult film actress.
