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.
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."
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trump stares toward Smith
Former President Donald Trump knocked his clasped hands on the table and, for a few seconds, stared toward special counsel Jack Smith as he waited for U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya to enter the courtroom.
-ABC News' Mike Levine