Former President Donald Trump has pleaded “not guilty” to all 37 felony charges in the Department of Justice indictment.
The former president and current Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential nomination was arraigned on Tuesday in a federal courtroom in Miami.
Supporters of Trump gathered outside in protest of what they called political persecution.
Trump entered the plea through his attorneys and did not speak during the court appearance. He has been charged with 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information; one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice; one count of withholding a document or record; one count of corruptly concealing a document or record; one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation; one count of scheme to conceal; and one count of false statements and representations.
“Trump was frowning at some points and was looking down toward the floor for most of the hearing,” ABC News reports. “Trump was already in the courtroom by about 2:45 p.m., ahead of the scheduled 3 p.m. start time. Seated at the same table as Trump was his aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta.”
Trump waited in the courtroom silently for about ten minutes until the judge arrived.
The judge did not impose any travel restrictions or revoke his passport. There were also no restrictions placed on him regarding owning or carrying firearms.
After leaving the court house, Trump went to Versailles, a restaurant in Little Havana, and spoke to supporters.
“I think it’s going great. I think it’s a rigged deal here. We have a rigged country,” Trump was heard telling those at the restaurant.
“We’re a nation in decline, and then they do this stuff,” Trump continued. “You see the crowds and everything else — we have a country that is in decline like never before, and we can’t let it happen.”
On Tuesday evening, Trump is expected to address supporters in a speech from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
