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.

ByMorgan Winsor, Emily Shapiro, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: August 2, 2023, 2:36 PM 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, 2:36 PM EDT

Pence: 'I wish it didn't come to this'

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said of the indictment, "I wish it didn't come to this."

"It will be up to the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this actually represented criminal conduct," Pence told reporters while campaigning at the Indiana State Fair.

Pence, asked what he had learned after reading through the indictment, responded that he "didn't know anything about the effort to secure fake electors" at the time.

-ABC News' Libby Cathey

Aug 02, 2023, 2:25 PM EDT

Security preparations underway at DC courthouse

Security preparations are underway at Washington, D.C., District Court ahead of former President Donald Trump's Thursday afternoon appearance.

Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies on Wednesday conducted a walkthrough of the courthouse, including the courtroom where Trump will be appearing.

Trump is expected to appear in person before Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya.

Members of the media outside the Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, in Washington, DC, Aug. 1, 2023.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement, "While the Secret Service does not comment on specific protective means or methods, we have the utmost confidence in the dedication and commitment to security shared by all of our law enforcement and government partners."

"We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Protective Service to ensure the highest levels of safety and security for the former president, while minimizing disruptions to the normal court process," Guglielmi said.

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.

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