However, the former US president found himself squirming in his seat during a court hearing in the capital while he waited 20 minutes for the judge to show up.
He also sneakily glanced towards Special Counsel Jack Smith, the federal prosecutor who has now indicted him in two different cases, during this period.
Recently, Mr. Trump has been furious on social media about what he terms a “witch hunt” that is still going on and is being directed by a “deranged” and “wild” Mr. Smith.
But he was required to remain mute in the courtroom.
His alleged involvement in a scheme to rig the 2020 election is the basis of the most recent indictment. He is charged with four counts: conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to hinder a government investigation, obstruction of a government investigation, and conspiracy to violate rights.
Federal prosecutors claim he took illegal action to maintain power with a number of unnamed co-conspirators and circulated misleading information about the 2020 election on purpose and repeatedly.
He stated in an all-caps statement on his Truth Social platform that his voluntary surrender was “a great honor, because I am being arrested for you” before to this most recent arraignment, which was his third in four months.
But inside the little courtroom on the second floor, Mr. Trump patiently listened and respectfully responded, with the exception of an occasional apparent head shake of disbelief.
He rose up to respond to the judge’s inquiry in an instant before being forced to sit back down.
Later, after standing up, he confirmed that his attorneys had entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Mr. Smith stated earlier this week that he would like to have this matter tried quickly, and on Thursday, his attorneys reinforced that demand.
John Lauro, the attorney for Mr. Trump, countered that the government had three years to prepare its case and demanded that the judge guarantee a fair trial and uphold the rights of his client.
The US Capitol, where his supporters rioted in January 2021 to stop Congress from confirming Joe Biden’s victory, casts a shadow over the federal courts.
The accusations coming from allegations that he paid hush money to a porn star and federal charges related to the alleged improper handling of secret data were among the latest legal troubles to surface on Thursday.
Mr. Smith was also a party to the latter case. The federal prosecutor apparently did not quit looking at Mr. Trump at their last encounter in Miami.
But Mr. Smith took extra care in Washington to avoid Mr. Bush’s eyes.
The 77-year-old is currently accused of 78 felonies as he begins his third consecutive campaign for president.
Even if Mr. Trump’s legal expenses and court appearances are increasing, he continues to be the clear favorite to receive the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2024.
Only twice since leaving office has he been to Washington, D.C., for a court appearance, and he was only here for two hours before leaving for his home in New Jersey.
He added as he got on Trump Force One, “This is a very sad day for America.
Then, with a final jab at “the filth and decay” of the city where he had previously served as commander in chief, he said: “This is not the place that I left.”
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