Trump arraigned at the same courthouse where more than 1,000 of his supporters, fueled by his false claims of election fraud, have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The early front runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination entered his plea in a federal courtroom in Washington DC on Thursday.
In a 45-page indictment, Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday accused Trump and his allies of promoting false claims that the election was rigged.
It said he pressurised state and federal officials to alter the results and assembled fake slates of electors to try to wrest electoral votes from President Joe Biden.
It’s the third criminal case filed against Trump this year, but the first to try to hold him criminally responsible for his efforts to cling to power in the weeks between his election loss and the Capitol attack that stunned the world as it unfolded live on TV.
Trump has described this and other criminal cases against him as a “witch hunt” intended to derail his White House campaign.
Law enforcement increased security at Washington’s federal courthouse ahead of Trump’s appearance, patrolling the area by foot, bike and car.
They set up metal barricades near the courthouse to limit movement and police were patrolling the area by car, bike, and foot.
The courthouse sits less than a mile from the US Capitol, where Trump’s supporters smashed windows, attacked law enforcement and poured into the House and Senate chambers to halt Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory on January 6, 2021.
