By Aaron Miller-
Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty at a Washington DC court during his third appearance as a criminal defendant in four months.
He appeared in the federal courthouse , a stone’s throw away from where his angry supporters stormed the Capitol building in an effort to keep him in power.
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Trump has been indicted for alleged wide ranging criminal offences connected to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
After arriving at the courthouse in a Secret Service motorcade, Trump entered the not guilty plea before Magistrate Judge Moxila.
Several supporters assembled outside the court house, not from anti Trump protesters who made their presence known.
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The former U.S commander in Chief- a polarising figure in American politics- ironically joins countless other law breakers charged with crimes as a result of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol building.
According to the D.C. U.S. attorney’s office, 1,077 people have faced federal charges in some way tied to that attack. Trump, the 45th president of the United States, is the 1,078th.
The sitting judge reminded Trump that his release was accompanied with judicial conditions conditions he is legally obligated to obey, including the requirement that he does not violate any laws, that he appears in court when required to do so, and does not communicate with anyone known to be a witness in the case, save through an attorney.
His next scheduled court appearance is on Aug. 28 at 10 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, though the magistrate suggested he would have the option not to appear personally.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is handling the investigation of Trump and his inner circle, sat in the courtroom during the former president’s court appearance.
Mr Trump criticised the charges as being inspired by the “corruption, scandal, and failure” of the U.S under the Biden presidency.
The 2024 Republican frontrunner continues to vehemently fight the allegations against him.
Victim
Appealing to his many supporters on his truth social platform, the defiant former U.S president suggested he was the victim of an ill motivated attack by the establishment.
Trump made reference to the recent testimony from Hunter’s business partner Devon Archer in an attempt to present a biased system working against his political interests.
Trump is facing four federal charges related to January 6 and his plot to overturn the 2020 election results that carry a maximum prison sentence of 55 years.
He is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy against rights of citizens, obstructing an official proceeding and conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding.
Outside the court, his lawyer Alina Habba called the case ‘election interference and its finest’ and a bid to ruin his 2024 campaign.
The new allegations laid out early this week in an indictment, or charge sheet, included a count of “conspiracy to impair, obstruct, and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud and deceit”.
Mr Trump is appearing on Thursday before Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya. Another judge, Tanya Chutkan, will handle the criminal trial at a later date.
Trump has two other cases pending, including mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a porn star.
Trump lawyer John Lauro has called the latest indictment an attack on free speech, saying: “There’s nothing more protected under the First Amendment [the right to free speech] than political speech.”
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