| Trump pleads not guilty |
| Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in federal court in Miami yesterday to criminal charges that he risked disclosure of defense secrets and obstructed the government’s efforts to reclaim classified documents he took while leaving office. The former president was booked but not handcuffed, and he did not have to submit to a mug shot. |
| His personal aide Walt Nauta, who is charged with lying to investigators and scheming with Trump to conceal boxes containing classified documents, also appeared before the magistrate judge but did not enter a plea. A lawyer for Nauta asked for a two-week extension because he needed a local lawyer to sponsor him. |
| Trump was represented in court by Christopher Kise, a former Florida solicitor general, and Todd Blanche, a prominent New York defense lawyer. His legal team has been in flux since two other lawyers representing him resigned shortly after the indictment was made public. Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought the charges, also attended the hearing. |
| The 2024 race: The charges do not bar Trump from running for president. He currently leads an increasingly crowded Republican field. |
| Next steps: A trial could be months away, according to our Washington correspondent Charlie Savage. However, he added, “we think the Justice Department is going to try to get this over with as quickly as possible, hopefully before the Republican presidential primary.” Trump may try to delay the trial until after the U.S. elections in November of next year. |
| Claims: Hours after leaving the court, Trump defended his conduct with a string of familiar falsehoods. Here’s a fact check. |
