Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to nearly 40 charges outlined in his first-ever federal indictment that alleges the one-time president failed to follow protocol and mishandled classified documents after leaving office.
The plea was submitted before US magistrate judge Jonathan Goodman at Trump's first scheduled court appearance in Miami, Florida, where a few hundred demonstrators and Trump supporters alike gathered outside the federal courthouse.
“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche was reported to have said in court.
The day's proceedings saw Trump arrive at the courthouse just before 2 p.m. local time, and processed by US Marshals within a span of 15 minutes. While the president was not placed in handcuffs for the formal arrest, he was fingerprinted by authorities.
Trump was booked alongside Walt Nauta, a Navy veteran that worked as the former president's valet during his time at the White House and as a Trump's personal aide at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
US reporter Adam Reiss described the inside of the court room as including more than 40 reporters and a mix of Secret Service officials among legal officials.
US media reported that after federal prosecutor David Harbach agreed neither Trump nor Nauta were a flight risk, Goodman did not order either individual to surrender their passport. Trump was not asked to turn over his passport, nor were any travel limits imposed on him as a result.
Trump has been ordered not to speak to Nauta about the case; however, he is not barred from coming into contact with the individual. In fact, the pair were spotted together at the nearby Versailles Restaurant for an impromptu stop after the court hearing.
Coverage of Trump's movements after departing the courthouse showed figures appearing to "pray" over Trump moments after he entered the eatery.
Prior to the historic case's court hearing, Trump took to social media to voice his criticism against special counsel Jack Smith, a prosecutor leading the case against Trump, and in typical Trump mannerisms resorted to name calling Smith a "thug" and a "lunatic."
Alina Habba, a lawyer representing Trump, told reporters outside the courtroom after Trump arrived on scene that "what we are witnessing today is the blatant and unapologetic weaponization of the criminal justice system."
"The people in charge of this country do not love America - they hate Donald Trump," she added.
Trump echoed similar sentiments while speaking to the press at the Versailles Restaurant, telling supporters:
"We have a rigged country. We have a country that's corrupt. We have a county that's got no borders. We have a country that's got nothing but problems. We're a nation in decline and then they do this stuff — and you see where the people are."
Since the indictment was first revealed by Trump on June 8, he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and stated the move is part of a political scheme intended to block his 2024 bid for the White House. As such, Trump and company have questioned why authorities have not gone after US President Joe Biden with the same tenacity as he was also found to have mishandled classified records.
Similarly, many members of the Republican Party - including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis - have blasted the use of a government investigation in the matter.
The June indictment marks the second such legal filing issued against Trump; however, it's widely speculated that additional filings may emerge as an investigation remains ongoing in Georgia into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.