Donald Trump rips ‘filth’ of US capital as he departs in the rain after pleading not guilty
Ex-President Donald Trump bashed Washington DC, his former home, as he departed in the rain after pleading not guilty to charges linked to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Trump’s aide Walt Nauta, who was charged in the classified documents case, held an umbrella over him as he provided brief comment to reporters before boarding his plane.
‘This is a very sad day for America and it was also very sad driving through Washington, DC, and seeing the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti,’ Trump said at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday evening.
‘This is not the place that I left… When you look at what’s happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent.’
He added: ‘If you can’t beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him.’
Trump pleaded not guilty at the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse to four federal charges in connection to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The four counts are: conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
‘Not guilty,’ Trump said when Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya how he would plead.
Trump was arraigned and placed under arrest for the third time in four months.
Standing, Trump raised his right hand and swore to abide by the conditions of his release. He also signed papers on his agreement to the terms.
He has already pleaded not guilty in the classified documents and hush money cases.
As with his first two arraignments, in April and June, respectively, Trump did not have his mugshot taken.
Trump’s court appearance and departure were markedly low key compared to his first two arraignments.
After appearing at a federal court in Miami in the classified documents case, Trump went straight to a famous Cuban restaurant in Little Havana where he was greeted by a crowd of his supporters.
His fans sung happy birthday to him, as it was the day before he turned 77. He promised ‘food for everyone’ — but did not follow through in buying then meals.
Trump then flew to his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he had donors waiting for him. He delivered a speech in which he slammed the Biden administration and special counsel Jack Smith and repeated his lies around the 2020 election.
On Thursday, Trump had no such post-arraignment bells and whistles or pomp and circumstance.
There was a relatively small number of protesters and the atmosphere was calm compared to the scene outside the Miami courthouse, where a man jumped in front of his departing motorcade.
In his short remarks before reporters, he said: ‘This was never supposed to happen in America.
‘This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary, and leading Biden by a lot.’
Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will preside over the case, plans to set a trial date during Trump’s next hearing on August 28.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.