Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty after being formally arrested and arraigned for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The former president was indicted on four charges by a grand jury hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the alleged conspiracy to overturn the election and the resulting January 6 Capitol riot.
Mr Trump made an initial appearance at the E Barrett Prettyman federal courthouse on Thursday afternoon (3 August) to enter his plea. The government did not seek detention.
Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya has set 28 August 2023 as the first hearing date for the former president to appear before US district court judge Tanya Chutkan.
The hearing will take place at 10am.
Mr Trump has railed against the indictment and is calling for the “fake” case to be moved out of Washington DC where he claims it is “impossible to get a fair trial”.
Speaking after his court appearance, he claimed he was facing “persecution”, adding “this is not what is supposed to happen in America”.
