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 enters not guilty plea
Defense attorney Todd Blanche entered a not guilty plea on behalf of former President Donald Trump.
Trump was frowning at some points and was looking down toward the floor for most of the hearing.
Trump was already in the courtroom by about 2:45 p.m., ahead of the scheduled 3 p.m. start time. Seated at the same table as Trump was his aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta.
Trump waited in the courtroom for about 10 minutes before the judge arrived.
At first Trump appeared slumped in his chair, but when the judge asked for him to be officially arraigned, the former president sat up a bit and crossed his arms.
At one point during the arraignment, the magistrate judge asked Trump's lawyers Todd Blanche and Chris Kise if they were permanent attorneys, and they indicated they were.
Trump was barred from speaking to any witnesses about the case, except through counsel.
The court did not impose restrictions on Trump’s travel and his passport was not revoked. There will also be no limitations on his ability to possess a firearm.
Nauta did not enter a plea because he does not have local representation. He's set to return to court on June 27.
Trump never looked back at Smith during the hearing. Trump left the room before the special counsel.