Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to the first federal criminal charges brought against a former president during an initial appearance to answer an indictment at a courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, according to US media.
Trump has accused prosecutors of conducting a “witch hunt” in bringing the case over his alleged failure to return sensitive national security records after leaving office. Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by attorney-general Merrick Garland to oversee investigations into the former president, was present in the courtroom, according to media reports.
Describing the day as “one of the saddest . . . in the history of our country” on his Truth Social platform shortly before entering the courthouse, Trump declared: “We are a nation in decline.”
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