Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to historic charges of mishandling sensitive files at a federal court in Miami, Florida.
What makes Donald Trump?
Mr. Donald Trump is the first US president, living or dead, to be charged with a federal crime.
He appeared in court for the second time this year with his arms crossed, wearing a dark suit and a red tie.
Later, the Republican made his way to Bedminster, New Jersey, where he spoke to his club’s patrons.
The front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, Mr. Donald Trump, told the crowd that he had “every right” to hold the classified documents but that he “hadn’t had a chance to go through all the boxes” against a backdrop of American flags.
He claimed to have followed the law before making a number of unproven allegations and complaining about President Joe Biden and his former rival Hillary Clinton.
On his social media platform Truth Social earlier in the day, Mr. Donald Trump thanked Miami for providing “such a warm welcome on such a sad day for our country” before departing from the city.
- Trump Has Been Charged In Connection With The Alleged Mishandling Of Government Secrets.
- Donald Trump refers to the charges as ridiculous and baseless in campaign speeches.
Just hours earlier, Mr. Donald Trump had watched as his attorney entered a not-guilty plea on 37 counts of illegally holding onto classified documents and obstructing the government’s efforts to recover them in a courtroom on the 13th floor of a federal building in downtown Miami.
The lawyer, Todd Blanche, informed the judge, “We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty.”
Walt Nauta, a close associate of Mr. Trump who is also a defendant in the case and is accused of six criminal counts, was seated at the same table as the former president.
The entire prosecution team, including special counsel Jack Smith, who made the indictment public last week, sat on the other side of the room.
- Donald Trump Indictment | Seven charges over classified documents case
- Could Donald Trump face prison time because of secret files?
The 76-year-old former president was permitted to leave court without any limitations on his ability to travel both domestically and abroad. Judge Jonathan Goodman, a magistrate, was informed by the prosecution that the defendant was not a flight risk.
But Mr. Trump will not be allowed to discuss the case with Mr. Nauta.
The Republican gave his supporters a thumbs up as his motorcade departed the courthouse following the hearing. A prison jumpsuit-clad anti-Trump protester who ran into the street in front of the motorcade as it was leaving was eventually pushed away by security, making it the most disorderly part of an otherwise peaceful day.
Mr. Trump and his security team went straight to Versailles, a well-known Cuban eatery in Little Havana, Miami, where they were met by a crowd of adoring supporters who lined up for pictures with the former president.
Before his 77th birthday on Wednesday, he appeared to participate in a prayer with a few customers and received a chorus of “Happy Birthday to You.”
As she spoke to the media outside of court, Alina Habba, an attorney for the former president, reiterated the former president’s claims that the charges were politically motivated.
She told reporters, “We are at a turning point in the history of our country; the targeting prosecution of a prominent political opponent is the kind of thing you see in dictatorships like Cuba and Venezuela.
All of this nation’s citizens ought to be horrified by what is being done to President Trump, she continued.
Before the hearing, court representatives stated that Mr. Trump would not have his photograph taken for a mugshot but rather would be digitally fingerprinted and asked to provide a DNA sample via swab.
The case is still assigned to Aileen Cannon, a Mr. Trump-appointed federal district judge in South Florida, although a trial date has not yet been set. Information on this news was collected from BBC News for more information follow this link. To Read More Articles from The Master News.
