WASHINGTON: Former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in Washington to a four-count federal indictment that he illegally attempted to overturn his 2020 reelection loss to stay in power for another four years in the White House.
Trump, who has denied all wrongdoing in the array of allegations he is facing, entered his plea in a rare trip to the U.S. capital 2½ years after voters ousted him after a single term.
Amid tight security at the U.S. Courthouse, he sat through a half-hour arraignment, answering routine questions from U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, giving his full name, Donald John Trump, his age, 77, and avowed that he was not under the influence of any drugs.
Upadhyaya read the charges to Trump accusing him of conspiring against the United States to overthrow his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, now the U.S. president, and listed the lengthy prison terms he would face if convicted.
Then Trump, wearing his customary dark blue suit and red tie, told the judge he was pleading not guilty to the 45-page indictment handed up Tuesday by a federal grand jury at the behest of Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith.
Smith was in the courtroom seated a short distance from Trump, but the two adversaries did not appear to interact. Trump sat at the defense table, listening to the judge, leaning forward, clenching his hands.
“This is very quiet,” Trump remarked before the hearing started, with the judge taking the bench about 10 minutes late. He had already been booked with his fingerprints taken, but since Trump is a universally recognized figure, authorities skipped taking his mug shot.
Upadhyaya set August 28 for the next hearing in the case, and it will be conducted by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who was randomly selected to oversee Trump’s trial.
Upadhyaya said Chutkan was willing to waive Trump’s appearance at the first hearing if he does not want to show up.
(VOA)
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