Trump pleads not guilty on Jan. 6 charges, calls it 'sad day for America’

Trump is accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Last Updated: August 2, 2023, 6:33 AM EDT

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts after being charged in connection with his alleged attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.

The new 45-page federal indictment, unsealed Tuesday, accuses Trump of four felony counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

It's the third time that Trump has been indicted on criminal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the two other cases, decrying the investigations as political witch hunts. He continues to insist that the 2020 vote was rigged and, speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, described the latest charges as a "pile-on" and "election interference."

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Aug 02, 2023, 10:17 AM EDT

Who is the judge assigned to the case

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has been assigned to oversee former President Donald Trump's case involving his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to the court docket.

Click here to read more about Chutkan.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in an undated photo provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Chutkan has been assigned to the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump.
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts via AP

Aug 02, 2023, 10:03 AM EDT

How Trump could challenge the indictment

As former President Donald Trump prepares to fight a sweeping federal indictment charging him with unlawfully attempting to overturn the 2020 election, legal experts weigh in on what to expect as the case moves forward.

Click here for their take on what's next and how Trump could challenge the indictment.

Aug 02, 2023, 9:11 AM EDT

Special counsel speaks out on Trump's 3rd indictment

Shortly after a third indictment was unveiled against former President Donald Trump, special counsel Jack Smith spoke briefly from the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday about the new charges related to Trump's alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment alleging four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Smith, the independent prosecutor overseeing the federal cases against Trump, said the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was "an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy" that was "fueled by lies" from the former president about the 2020 election.

"The indictment was issued by a grand jury of citizens here in the District of Columbia and it sets forth the crimes charged in detail," Smith told reporters. "I encourage everyone to read it in full."

Click here to read more of Smith's comments.

Aug 02, 2023, 8:50 AM EDT

2024 GOP candidates react to Trump's 3rd indictment

The latest indictment against former President Donald Trump quickly divided the GOP primary field that is running against him in the 2024 presidential election, with some of his fellow White House contenders opting to defend him and others lambasting him on Tuesday.

Click here to read their reactions.

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