(Dan Tri) – Former President Donald Trump declared innocence before accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election results.
Former President Donald Trump (Photo: AP).
`Not guilty,` Mr. Trump declared in federal court in Washington on August 3, after judge Moxila Upadhyaya read four charges in a 45-page indictment issued by special prosecutor Jack Smith.
Mr. Trump defended himself during the 30-minute trial.
Mr. Trump was allowed to leave after the trial.
`This is a very sad day for America,` Mr. Trump told reporters after pleading not guilty.
Before boarding the plane to leave Washington, Mr. Trump said that the 2024 presidential election was the motive for the indictments against him.
`This is the persecution of a political opponent. This should never have happened in America. This is the persecution of someone who is leading with a huge number of support in the Party’s primary election
A US federal grand jury on August 1 indicted Mr. Trump on four counts related to allegations of overturning the 2020 presidential election results.
These crimes include defrauding the United States by preventing Congress from ratifying President Joe Biden’s victory;
The indictment also lists six people accused of colluding with Mr. Trump in an effort to overturn the election results, including four lawyers, a judicial official and a political consultant.
This is the third time Mr. Trump has been criminally prosecuted in the past 4 months.
The latest criminal charges against Mr. Trump came after an investigation by special prosecutor Jack Smith.
Mr. Smith is in charge of two investigations related to Mr. Trump’s handling of confidential documents after leaving office and the former President’s role in the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
During the Capitol riot, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the parliament building, attacked police, and interrupted the process of certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump has so far stated that he will not give up the race for the White House if convicted in any criminal investigation.
Despite recent legal controversies, Mr. Trump still receives overwhelming support from voters in recent public opinion polls.