WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump prepared Thursday to travel to Washington to plead not guilty to charges that he tried to steal the 2020 election, his third court arraignment in four months.
Trump warmed up for this federal court appearance by calling for the trial to be moved from heavily Democratic Washington, D.C., to a more Republican-friendly place like West Virginia.
“This Indictment is all about Election Interference!!!” said the front-running Republican candidate on his Truth Social website.
The former president, who is spending the summer at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., is expected to depart from there around 1 p.m. The arraignment in D.C. is scheduled for 4 p.m.
A grand jury in Washington indicted Trump on Tuesday on charges of conspiring with aides to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden, efforts that led to the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.
His two other indictments: A state case in New York involving hush money payments and a federal case in Florida alleging obstruction of justice and improper retention of classified documents.
Who is Moxila A. Upadhyaya?
Trump will appear this afternoon before federal Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya to enter his plea. He is expected to answer not guilty to the four charges he faces.
Once the trial begins, Trump faces U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. A nominee of President Barack Obama, Chutkan has presided over other cases related to the January 6, 2021 insurrection. She is the only judge in D.C. who has given longer sentences to these defendants than what was requested by the Department of Justice.
-Savannah Kuchar
Arraignment meaning: Why Trump is in D.C. court today
An arraignment is when formal charges against an accused defendant are read by a judge. This takes place during a defendant’s first appearance before a judge, where they are told about the specific charges they are facing.
Trump on Thursday will be asked how he wants to plead to the official charges. The…
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