Former US President Donald Trump describes his recent appearance in court Appearances as a “very sad day for America”, reports RTE.
Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to historic charges of leading a criminal conspiracy to defraud the American people by invalidating the 2020 election.
The candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination made his appeal yesterday during a brief hearing in the same Washington courthouse where hundreds of his supporters were convicted for their part in the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.
“Not guilty,” Trump said after Justice of the Peace Moxila Upadhyay read the charges – and possible maximum prison sentence – in a 45-page indictment filed by special counsel Jack Smith.
Speaking to the media after the indictment, Trump said “this is a very sad day for America” shortly before Ronald Reagan boarded his private jet at Washington National Airport to return to New Jersey.
“This is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in America,” he said.
Mr Trump himself has been accused of using government power for political ends.
His first of two impeachments, in 2019, involved pressing Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
Senate Republicans acquitted him of that charge.
Shortly before leaving a golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey for a short flight to the nation’s capital, Trump doubled down on his baseless claim that the November 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, had been “stolen.”
The 77-year-old billionaire has already been charged in two other criminal cases, and new conspiracy charges make it likely that he will be embroiled in further litigation at the height of next year’s election campaign.
Small groups of demonstrators with banners wandered outside along with some curious tourists.
“Jail Trump Forever,” read one sign. “Trump 24,” read another, reports RTE.
“We wanted to see it,” said Dave Werner, 52, of Houston, Texas, who was visiting the capital with his son Liam, 12. “It’s a little bit being part of history,” reprots RTE.
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