Former President Trump arraigned in federal court, pleads not guilty to Jan. 6 indictment
WASHINGTON – An unusually reserved and respectful Donald Trump was arraigned in federal court here Thursday for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump, 77, surrendered to law enforcement and pleaded not guilty to a four-count indictment from the Justice Department that accused him of disrupting the peaceful transfer of power by making “knowingly false” voter fraud claims that culminated in the storming of the US Capitol building by hundreds of his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.
The 45th president shook his head slightly as US Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadyaha read out the docket number and intoned: “United States v. Donald J. Trump.”
When the time came to give his name, Trump answered: “Donald J. Trump – John.” When asked for his plea, the former president said “Not. Guilty,” emphasizing each word by first raising his head, then lowering it nearly to his chest.
Special counsel Jack Smith — who sat in the front row of the spectator gallery about 15 feet from Trump, but did not speak — had charged the former president Tuesday with conspiracy to defraud the US government, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
Trump and Smith occasionally exchanged glances inside the courtroom on Thursday — and the former president gazed backward a few times at the roughly 100 spectators and reporters allotted seats for the hearing. The Post was one of five media outlets that won a lottery to be seated inside the courtroom, along with seven wire and pool reporters who were seated in the third row, just ahead of five lucky members of the public who waited in line for hours before winning a seat. Six members of Judge Upadyaha’s family sat in the second row behind Smith.
Prosecutors say Trump unlawfully supported a scheme to put forward fraudulent electors and pressured former Vice President Mike Pence and various state officials to reject Joe Biden’s victory.
Trump and Smith occasionally exchanged glances inside the courtroom on Thursday — and the former president gazed backward a few times at the roughly 100 spectators and reporters allotted seats for the hearing.
Upadyaha, who irked Trump by arriving 20 minutes late for the 4 p.m. hearing, scheduled the next proceeding in the case for 10 a.m. on Aug. 28, when a trial date will be set.
That hearing will occur only five days after the first 2024 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, which Trump has previously suggested he may skip.
Trump will be barred from discussing details of the case with people known to be witnesses, unless contacted through his attorneys. He also cannot commit another crime, must sign an appearance bond and reappear in court when requested.
After a short drive from the courthouse to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in northern Virginia, Trump appeared to have regained some of his former bravado.
“This is a very sad day for America. And it was also very sad driving through Washington DC and seeing the filth and the decay. and all of the broken buildings and walls of the graffiti,” the former president said. “This is not the place that I left. it’s a very sad thing to see it. When you look at what’s happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in America. 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. So, you can’t beat him you persecute him or you prosecute them. We can’t let this happen in America.”
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 55 years in federal prison, but the case is unlikely to be decided before Election Day 2024.
Trump lawyer John Lauro has indicated the former president’s legal team will launch their own counter-investigation into Smith’s claims, pushing the trial date back months. Upadyaha handed the defense a small win by scheduling the next case hearing at the latest possible date, as Lauro and fellow Trump attorney Todd Blanche had requested.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump urged protesters to demonstrate “peacefully and patriotically” but also to “fight like hell” against efforts by Congress to certify the presidential election results.
The 45th president is the first current or former commander-in-chief to be indicted by the federal government. He remains the frontrunner for the Republican presidential primary by a margin of more than 30 percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Meanwhile, President Biden, 80, kept a low profile on the last full day of his Rehoboth Beach, Del. vacation Thursday, telling reporters “no” as he pedaled by on his bike when asked if he was going to follow the proceedings 120 miles to the west.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump urged protesters to demonstrate “peacefully and patriotically” but also to “fight like hell” against efforts by Congress to certify the presidential election results.
Capitol Police Sgt. Harry Dunn, retired Sgt. Aquilino Gonell and Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, who were among the law enforcement to respond to the violence of that day, were among the spectators who attended the hearing.
Trump made the brief trip to Washington from his summer digs at Bedminster, NJ. He appeared grim-faced as he left his Boeing 757, but gave a brief wave to assembled members of the media as he descended the staircase from Trump Force One.
Outside the courthouse, scores of onlookers gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the former president’s motorcade, with some cheering the prospect of a Trump prison sentence and many supporters of the ex-commander-in-chief expressing disappointment.
The DC case is the second brought by Smith against Trump. The special counsel has also indicted Trump on 40 counts related to the alleged retention of classified national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate — and purportedly lying to his lawyers and federal authorities about his actions.
In that case, Trump’s valet Walt Nauta and property manager Carlos De Oliveira are charged with helping to move boxes of sensitive papers and attempting to delete security camera footage of them doing so.
In late March, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted the ex-president on 34 counts of business fraud for allegedly concealing records to hide “hush money” payments made to a porn star before the 2016 election.
Trump could yet face a fourth indictment from Fulton County, Ga. District Attorney Fani Willis for his efforts to pressure Peach State officials to reverse the 2020 election outcome there.
