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Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election
![Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he orchestrated a plot to try to overturn his 2020 election loss in what U.S. prosecutors call an unprecedented effort by the then-president to undermine the pillars of American democracy.]()
Donald Trump Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he orchestrated a plot to try to overturn his 2020 election loss in what U.S. prosecutors call an unprecedented effort by the then-president to undermine the pillars of American democracy.
Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to trying to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss, answering for the first time to federal charges that accuse him of orchestrating a brazen and ultimately failed attempt to block the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in a Washington DC court to conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
During a short arraignment, he spoke softly to confirm his not-guilty plea, name, age and that he was not under the influence of any substances.
He later told reporters the case was persecution of a political opponent.
It marks a historic third appearance for the former president as a criminal defendant in four months.
Mr Trump entered through a backdoor of the courthouse in the centre of the nation's capital, just yards from the US Capitol and scene of the January 6 2021 riot that is central to the prosecution's case.
The former president appeared to exchange glances across the court with Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the investigation.
He was seen twiddling his thumbs as he sat waiting for the hearing to begin, and he shook his head as the clerk read out the case number.
Mr Trump had taken a short flight on his private plane, Trump Force One, from his New Jersey residence to Washington DC to attend the hearing.
His not-guilty plea covered the four charges made in this latest indictment:
