Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty at a federal courthouse in Miami after being arrested and booked on charges relating to mishandling of classified documents. Similar to his indictment in New York, earlier this year, he did not have to take a mug shot, given the surplus of public photographs that could be used to identify him. During his court appearance, Trump formally entered a plea of “not guilty."
Alina Habba, one of Trump's attorneys, explained why he didn't need a mug shot outside of the courtroom. “President Trump is in a very unique position where he does not need to be given a mugshot, obviously,” she said, as noted by Variety. “He’s not a flight risk. He is the leading candidate of the GOP at the moment. He is going through a process that has been coordinated with the Secret Service and it will all be handled seamlessly.”
Donald Trump Appears In Court
On the way to the courthouse, Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social. "ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE!!!" Trump wrote, before adding in a separate post, "ON MY WAY TO COURTHOUSE. WITCH HUNT!!! MAGA."
In response to Trump's arrest, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remarked: “No one’s above the law, including Donald Trump, and ought to be no political or ideological interference as the case moves forward. We don’t need political interference. We need strong law enforcement and Donald Trump is not above the law, plain and simple.”
All-in-all, Trump faces 37 criminal charges. Among them are counts of retaining classified information, obstructing justice, and making false statements, among others. The worst of the offenses carry prison sentences of up to 20 years.
[Via]