Trump indictment updates: Trump attacks special counsel after court
Trump's attorney entered a plea of not guilty.
Former President Donald Trump made his first appearance Tuesday in a federal courtroom in Miami after he was indicted in an investigation into his handling of classified documents.
Trump, who has repeatedly denied any allegations of impropriety, entered a not guilty plea through his attorneys and did not speak at all during the court appearance.
Trump has been charged with 37 counts: 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.
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Trump to appear in court at 3 p.m.
Former President Donald Trump is set to appear in federal court at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
He's accused of willfully retaining documents containing the nation's most sensitive secrets, including nuclear programs, after he left office, prosecutors said. He allegedly showed some of the documents to people on at least two occasions and then tried to obstruct the investigation into their whereabouts, prosecutors claim.
Trump denied any wrongdoing over the weekend, saying: "We did absolutely nothing wrong. Take a look at the Presidential Records Act. We did it by the book. Perfect."
Trump is expected to arrive at and depart from the Miami courthouse via secure private access points that would make it impossible for the public or journalists to see him.
Trump aide Walt Nauta, who was also charged in connection with his handling of government documents, is also due in court at 3 p.m.
Trump claims he had right to documents
Former President Trump wasted no time slamming the indictment against him over his alleged mishandling of classified documents but remained as defiant as ever during his first official remarks since he was arraigned in federal court.
"Today we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country. Very sad thing to watch," Trump said in a speech Tuesday evening at his Bedminster club.
"It's a political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation," he added.
Trump once again falsely claimed that he was able to keep classified documents under the Presidential records act.
"I had every right to have these documents," Trump said.
-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa