Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges in the classified documents case, reported Reuters. Trump has been accused of unlawfully keeping national-security documents when he left office. With his plea in a federal court in Miami, a legal battle is likely to play out over coming months as he campaigns to win the November 2024 presidential election.
Trump's plea, entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in a federal court in Miami, sets up a legal battle likely to play out over coming months as he campaigns to win back the presidency in a November 2024 election. Experts say it could be a year or more before a trial takes place.
According to Reuters, during the 47-minute hearing, Trump did not speak anything.
The court allowed Trump to leave without conditions or travel restrictions and no cash bond was required. The judge, however, ruled that the former Republican president was not allowed to communicate with potential witnesses in the case, as stated in a Reuters report.
His supporters chanted "We love Trump" as his motorcade departed the courthouse. The case is another legal trouble for Trump after he pleaded not guilty to state charges in New York stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star in April this year. He is the first former president to be charged with federal crimes, Reuters mentioned in the report.
Trump has repeatedly accused Democratic President Joe Biden's administration of targeting him while proclaiming his innocence. He slammed Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution and called him a "Trump hater" on social media on Tuesday.
According to Reuters, after the hearing, Trump addressed his supporters at a Cuban restaurant and said that the United States was "rigged," "corrupt" and "in decline."
"We've got a government that's out of control," he was quoted as saying in the report. Notably, Florida's Cuban-American community is a substantial Republican voting bloc in the politically competitive state.
Trump’s indictment charges include information about the secretive US nuclear program and potential vulnerabilities in the event of an attack. The 37-count indictment alleges Trump lied to officials who tried to get them back.
The charges further allege that conspired with his aide Walt Nauta to keep classified documents and hide them from investigators. Nauta has worked for Trump at the White House and at Mar-a-Lago (Trump’s residence).
Nauta, who is also charged in the case, appeared in court alongside Trump but will not have to enter a plea until June 27 because he does not have a local lawyer, Reuters reported. He was also released without having to post bond and was ordered not to talk to other witnesses.
Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, touched down in Miami in a private jet with his name emblazoned on the side on Monday. His supporters gathered outside a nearby golf club he owns, where he was due to stay the night.
Ahead of boarding the jet, Trump took to his social media and said, “I hope the entire country is watching what the radical left are doing to America,” reported Reuters.
According to a poll by Reuters, a vast majority of Republicans believe the case to be politically motivated. 81 percent of Republicans thought the charges were politically motivated. As per the polls, Reuters stated, Trump continues to lead his rivals for the party's presidential nomination by a wide margin.
Meanwhile, Trump accused President Joe Biden of orchestrating the federal case to undermine his presidential campaign.
Trump spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in Georgia over the weekend, adding that he would make a statement on Tuesday night when he returns to New Jersey, Reuters further said in its report.