Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday during a first court appearance in the latest criminal case brought against him, in which the former US president is accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The hearing at federal court in downtown Washington came two days after the Department of Justice charged him with four criminal counts including conspiracies to defraud the US and to obstruct official proceedings.
Jack Smith, the special counsel who oversaw the investigation against Trump, was present in the courtroom but did not join the prosecutors’ table, sitting instead on a bench facing his colleagues. Trump, who has previously described Smith as a “deranged lunatic”, entered the courtroom shortly before 4pm.