Trump arraignment recap: Former president pleads not guilty, calls events 'day of infamy'
After a relatively quiet afternoon in court to face historic charges in Miami, former President Donald Trump returned to his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey and told supporters that Tuesday was "a day of infamy" for America.
Trump spoke to hundreds at his club just hours after becoming the first former president to face charges in federal court. He labeled the criminal charges against him as “election interference and yet another attempt to rig and steal a presidential election.” He entered a plea of not guilty in front of a federal judge.
Trump told supporters that he had a right to go through boxes and separate personal records from government documents. He called the case against him “one of the most outrageous and vicious legal theories ever put forward in an American court of law.”
He refereed to special counsel Jack Smith a “thug” who does “political hit jobs” and said, “This day will go down in infamy.”
Here's what we know:
A hushed courtroom in Miami
The courtroom was hushed throughout the brief hearing.
Trump, who wore his standard red tie, white shirt and blue suit, sat hunched between his lawyers at the defense table, crossing and uncrossing his arms, but never spoke.
His lawyers, Christopher Kise and Todd Blanche, offered his plea and argued about conditions of pretrial release.
“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Blanche said.
Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith attended the hearing with a dozen other government lawyers. The charges accuse him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back.
After back-and-forth, government lawyers agreed to draw up a list of witnesses that Trump must avoid speaking to about the case.
Trump also agreed not to talk with his personal valet, Walt Nauta, who is his co-defendant. Trump brushed past Nauta without saying anything after the hearing ended.
Trump arrives quietly, but leaves to fanfare
Trump arrived at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse relatively quietly at a little past 1:45 p.m. His small motorcade did not pass by crowds and most people on the scene were police, not onlookers.
That’s because virtually all of the protesters were in the front of the courthouse and Trump came in from the back, entering through the judge's entrance, a sallyport that took Trump’s limo an underground garage.
But when Trump finally emerged after the hearing, it was to mostly cheers of several hundred people, many of them decked out in Trump regalia. They were behind police lines, with dozens of police on foot or on motorcycles and even bikes. Many of the onlookers erupted in cheers and a “USA, USA!” chant as the black limousines came up from out of the garage, into the street and then made a right and headed out of town.
- Josh Meyer
One Trump fan gets lucky, wins coveted seat in the courtroom, says Trump 'railroaded'
One of the onlookers was Lazaro Ecenarro, who had been among the few dozen protesters gathered outside the courthouse since the before the break of dawn.
Ecenarro, 48, said he was at the courthouse Monday, and that he had waited in line to get a seat inside the courthouse. In a lottery overseen by courthouse officials, he succeeded along with at least eight other members of the general public.
After sitting through the hearing for Trump and his valet Walt Nauta, Ecenarro – who has posted on social media about Trump-related conspiracy theories - said he believed Trump was being treated unfairly.
“I think he is being railroaded by the government,” Ecenarro told USA TODAY.
- Josh Meyer
Trump stops at Miami cafe Versailles after arraignment
Now that his arraignment is over, Trump is headed to Bedminster, N.J., for the first major fundraiser of 2024 presidential campaign.
But he first made a pit stop at Versailles, a well-known Cuban restaurant in Miami.
Flanked by Walt Nauta, his longtime personal aide and fellow defendant, Trump greeted supporters just minutes after pleading not guilty to federal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Trump’s efforts to use his arrest for political gain will continue later tonight when he delivers public remarks on his indictment from his golf club in Bedminster.
- Miles J. Herszenhorn
Trump and DOJ special counsel Jack Smith meet in courtroom
Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith attended Trump’s arraignment and sat in the courtroom along with a dozen other government lawyers while Trump pleaded not guilty.
It marks the first time Smith and Trump have been in the same courtroom.
Attorney General Merrick Garland named Smith to oversee the multi-pronged investigation into Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election and into the former president’s handling of hundreds of classified documents.
- Rachel Looker
Chaos as motorcade departs courthouse
A man was tackled by authorities and placed under arrest after he attempted to run in front of Donald Trump’s motorcade as the former president departed the courthouse.
Dominic Santana, 61, held a sign outside the courthouse reading “Lock him up,” and was dressed in a striped prisoner’s outfit. Santana, who lives in Miami but is originally from Cuba, told reporters earlier in the day that while he could not show his "disdain for Cuban government he could for the U.S. government."
The motorcade proceeded without incident after Santana was tackled and detained by law enforcement officials.
-Romina Ruiz-Goiriena and Miles J. Herszenhorn
Trump leaves federal court. What’s next?
Former President Donald Trump departed the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse in Miami after pleading not guilty to 37 federal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.
He then traveled back to his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where he made public remarks addressing his indictment and arraignment. Later tonight, he will host the first major fundraiser of his 2024 presidential campaign at the golf club.
While it is still unclear when the next legal development in the case will occur, special counsel Jack Smith previously said that he will seek a “speedy trial.”
-Miles J. Herszenhorn
Trump faces other legal challenges beyond federal case
Trump faces a number of legal hurdles besides the federal classified-documents case as he campaigns again for the White House:
Trump faces trial in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records for hush payments to women who claimed to have had sex with him. He pleaded not guilty.
Smith is also investigating potential election fraud from Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2022 election.
In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating potential election fraud because of Trump’s fake electors in that state and because of his call Jan. 2, 2021, asking state Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results.
E. Jean Carroll won a $5 million civil verdict against Trump for sexual abuse and defamation over an encounter at a New York department store in the 1990s. Trump has appealed.
-Bart Jansen
Trump's future campaign schedule is mostly blank right now
Donald Trump renews his 2024 campaign almost immediately after his arraignment with a prime time speech on Tuesday - but his campaign schedule beyond that is pretty much blank.
Trump speaks at 8:15 p.m. from his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, where he is also hosting a fundraiser that was planned before his indictment in Miami.
The future campaign rally schedule right now is blank, though Trump is scheduled to speak at a convention of anti-abortion activists to be held June 29-July 2 in Philadelphia.
?David Jackson
Was Trump handcuffed?
It is unlikely.
Former President Donald Trump surrendered to authorities and went through the pretrial services before appearing in court today. But he did not have a mug shot taken and he probably wasn't placed in handcuffs.
Trump was, however, expected to have his fingerprints taken digitally.
After Trump was indicted in New York in March, he was not handcuffed when he surrendered to authorities for his arraignment. That will likely remain the case when he shows up on Tuesday for his hearing in Miami.
-Miles J. Herszenhorn
Trump motorcade: Aides record trip to Miami courthouse
If you want to know what a Trump motorcade is like - even one en route to an arrest-and-arraignment - some campaign aides have you covered.
At least two aides - Chris LaCivita and Steven Cheung - posted video from the motorcade as it headed to the federal courthouse in Miami.
"President Trump on the way to fight the witch-hunt," Cheung said on Twitter.
?David Jackson
Is Donald Trump in jail?
Trump is not in jail and will likely leave the courthouse after his arraignment. After the former president enters a plea to charges, the judge will decide if bail is required or set no bail, which would allow Trump to be released without serving jail time.
He is scheduled to speak at a campaign event in New Jersey Tuesday evening, hours after the arraignment.
- Rachel Looker
No mug shot of Trump
Trump wasn't expected to have his mug shot taken as part of the processing for his initial court appearance on federal criminal charges related to classified documents, according to a senior law enforcement official.
Mug shots are traditionally taken to identify defendants in case they flee. But Trump is well enough known that authorities will upload a picture of him from the public domain, the official said. The picture won’t be released.
Trump was expected to have his fingerprints taken digitally, so no ink will be used, the official said.
The process is typical for the U.S. Marshals Service, the official said.
-Josh Meyer
Can Trump still run for president if he’s indicted?
Yes, Trump can continue his 2024 presidential campaign, even after being indicted again.
"Legally speaking, there is nothing to bar a former president from being indicted for a state crime, running for office – even convicted," said Jessica Levinson, founding director of Loyola Law School's Public Service Institute, previously told USA TODAY. "It really just becomes an issue of, practically, how could you run the country behind bars, if ever came to something like that?"
The Constitution only lays out three requirements to serve as president. You must be:
A natural-born citizen
At least 35 years old
A resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years.
-Marina Pitofsky
Prison garb, Uncle Sam and Cuban flags add color outside courthouse
Hours before Trump’s court appearance, a few protesters basked in the global media.
One man dressed in a prison costume. Another appeared as Uncle Sam. A third came as a circus ringmaster. Two others used Cuban flags as capes.
“What we are seeing today is a broken America,” said Kevin Caldwell of Fort Lauderdale, who stood with a U.S. flag outside the courthouse. “America is under attack. Our freedoms are under attack.”
--Stephany Matat and Antonio Fins of Palm Beach Post
Who is Todd Blanche?
As Trump assembles his legal team to fight federal charges in Florida, he named New York lawyer Todd Blanche as a key figure on Friday.
Blanche helped defend Trump against Manhattan charges of falsifying business records. Trump pleaded not guilty in April and has a trial scheduled in March 2024.
But Blanche hasn’t been certified to represent Trump in Florida. Trump named Florida lawyer Christopher Kise to help represent him at his arraignment.
Blanche has asked the judge for permission to participate in the case after certifying he has studied the local rules for federal court in South Florida and is a member in good standing of the New York state bar.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the case, approved Blanche's application Tuesday.
-Bart Jansen
Ramaswamy: I’ll pardon Trump
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a long-shot in the 2024 contest by most yardsticks, is pledging to pardon Donald Trump if elected.
Speaking at a press conference in Miami, Florida on Tuesday hours before Trump's arraignment, he challenged other GOP contenders to sign a petition promising the same. The Ohio entrepreneur then claimed the "donor class" is telling other candidates to "stay away" from the latest Trump drama.
“I have demanded that every other candidate in this race either sign this commitment to pardon… or else to explain why they are not,” Ramaswamy said.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Who is Walt Nauta?
Waltine “Walt” Nauta, who served as a “body man” to former President Donald Trump, was charged with six counts related to Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.
Nauta, 40, is a former White House valet and longtime Trump personal aide. He was also the only person other than Trump to be charged with crimes following the Justice Department’s investigation.
The indictment charged Nauta with conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations. It also alleged that Trump directed Nauta “to move boxes of documents to conceal them.”
But now, Nauta’s longtime loyalty to Trump puts him at risk of a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted of the charges against him.
-Miles J. Herszenhorn
Trump begins arraignment day by attacking the prosecutor
Trump warmed up for his not guilty plea by launching rhetorical attacks on Special Counsel Jack Smith, a familiar tactic by a defendant who has been in legal trouble and warned about incitement.
Trump used his Truth Social account to make unsubstantiated allegations against Smith, basically arguing that the prosecutor is biased against him.
The ex-president did the same thing after his indictment in New York City in large March, that time targeting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg - and drawing an admonishment from the judge who ordered him to "refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence and civil unrest."
?David Jackson
Who is representing Trump at arraignment? Florida lawyer Christopher Kise
Trump found a Florida-certified lawyer to represent him at Tuesday’s arraignment: Christopher Kise.
Kise, a former state solicitor general, represented Trump earlier in the investigation of classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago, when the former was fighting to have a special master review the records.
Kise will join Todd Blanche, who wasn’t credentialed in Florida. Trump has proclaimed his innocence and is expected to plead not guilty to charges he kept national defense records after leaving the White House and conspired to obstruct justice by keeping them hidden.
His previously hired lawyer, Todd Blanche, who wasn't certified to represent him in Florida, also filed a formal application asking the judge to allow him to participate in the case.
-David Jackson and Bart Jansen
What is Biden doing today, anyway?
You might be wondering what President Joe Biden is doing while his predecessor is being arrested (again).
For starters, he’s meeting with the NATO secretary general. Biden will then hold a reception for U.S. diplomats and later host a Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn.
— Phillip M. Bailey
No video or photos of Trump inside courthouse: magistrate judge
Federal Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman ruled Monday against allowing video recording or photos inside the courthouse for Trump’s initial appearance as the first former president facing federal criminal charges.
News organizations sought to record the historic event. “The American public’s interest in this case is beyond exaggeration,” the media companies argued.
But Goodman said a standing rule prohibits “all forms” of photography and electronic recording. “That is a broad prohibition,” Goodman ruled. “Moreover, allowing photographs would undermine the massive security arrangements put in place.”
-Bart Jansen
What is a classified document?
A classified document includes information deemed sensitive by the government that may have a potential threat to national security if it is released in an unauthorized way. Most documents are classified for the purpose of national security.
There are different levels of classified information: Top secret, secret and confidential. Each level of classification ranks the severity of how leaked information could impact national security.
?Bart Jansen
Nikki Haley, Tim Scott are more critical of Trump post-indictment
Don't look now, but a rising number of Donald Trump's Republican opponents are starting to criticize him over the documents indictment.
Nikki Haley, who was low-key after the indictment news broke Thursday, told Fox News on Monday: "If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security."
Haley, like other Republicans, also wondered if a candidate with these kinds of legal problems could attract enough independents to win a general election.
Another South Carolina-based Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Tim Scott, has also become more critical of Trump in light of the criminal charges. It is a "serious case with serious allegations," Scott told reporters during a campaign stop Monday.
?David Jackson
What does indictment mean?
An indictment is a formal charging document that’s used when it’s believed a person committed a crime. It includes charges against a person and should be filed before a case can move forward in a court, David Weinstein, a former federal and state prosecutor, previously told USA TODAY.
An indictment means a grand jury decided that there’s “more likely than not” enough evidence – based on testimony – to move forward with charging a person, Weinstein said. In a federal court, all cases proceed via indictment.
?Marina Pitofsky
Poll: Trump’s indictment is a liability
Donald Trump remains the lead horse in the Republican field as he faces his second indictment during the 2024 campaign.
But there are signs of fatigue among some right-leaning Americans.
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll released Tuesday finds 34% of GOP and independent voters saying the former president’s legal problems makes them less likely to support him.
The same survey, however, does find 11% are more likely to back his bid as a result of the allegations. And a majority—51%—say it doesn't matter.
?Phillip M. Bailey
Why did Trump keep the documents? Because he wanted to
The indictment sheds little light on Trump's motive for keeping these classified documents even after they were subpoenaed, but plenty of people have theories.
While opponents of Trump suspect he wanted to sell the information, others offer a more prosaic reason: He wants to pretend he's still president.
"He wants the trappings of the presidency around him," presidential candidate Chris Christie told a CNN town hall. "And I think one of those trappings is these documents that he could wave around to people."
Attorney Ty Cobb, the former White House Special Counsel, gave another reason Trump kept the documents: "He doesn't think the rules apply to him."
?David Jackson
Trump’s approval rating slightly up from April, poll finds
Donald Trump’s favorability among voters increased by 6 percentage points since April despite facing 37 charges over his handling of classified documents seized at his Florida home, a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found.
The survey, conducted in the days immediately following Trump’s indictment, found that 31% of voters had a favorable impression of the ex-president while only 25% viewed Trump as favorable in April. Despite the slight increase in favorability, the majority of Americans, 56%, still view Trump unfavorably – slightly down from the 61% of voters who had an unfavorable impression of him.
Forty-eight percent of voters also said that Trump should have been charged with a crime related to the hundreds of classified documents Trump took with him from the White House after leaving office in 2021 while 35% said he should not be, the poll found.
The survey of 910 U.S. adults, taken June 9-10, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
- Sarah Elbeshbishi
Trump facing more legal challenges, Republican challengers
With Trump’s legal challenges on the rise, he is also facing an increasing number of Republican challengers for the 2024 Republican nomination.
Nine Republicans have entered the race to dethrone Trump, but only some of the 2024 hopefuls have used Trump’s two indictments to criticize the Republican frontrunner.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both have repeatedly slammed Trump over his legal woes. Others, like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), only began to change their tune on Trump after his indictment was unsealed on Friday.
As a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows 34% of Republican and independent voters are less likely to support Trump after his indictment, the former president’s legal challenges will likely play a significant role throughout the 2024 campaign.
-Miles J. Herszenhorn
Read the Trump indictment
Former President Donald Trump will appear in court on Tuesday where he is expected to plead not guilty to 37 federal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents seized from his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.
Walt Nauta, Trump’s longtime personal aide and a former White House valet, also faces federal charges in the indictment.
Read below the 44-page indictment unsealed on Friday:
-Miles J. Herszenhorn
Trump talks PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal before arraignment
Trump on Tuesday criticized special counsel Jack Smith and shared “Make America Great Again,” in an all-caps post on Truth Social, but he also shared a message about the PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal.
“I wonder if the PGA players who didn’t heed my advice and take the massive amounts of money that was offered to them by LIV Golf, feel somewhat “stupid” right now,” the former president shared just hours before his arraignment in Miami.
Trump last year predicted a merger between the organizations, saying anyone who didn’t sign with the Saudi league would risk losing out.
– Marina Pitofsky
Who is Margo Martin?
Margo Martin is the deputy director of communications for Trump’s Save America political action committee and works for his 2024 campaign.
She also served as a former White House press assistant during Trump’s term in the White House.
In March, Martin appeared before the grand jury that indicted the former president on charges related to his handling of hundreds of classified documents.
- Rachel Looker
Seeking revenge: Sen. Vance says he will delay DOJ nominees after Trump indictment
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) announced that he will slow down all nominees to the Department of Justice in an attempt to extract revenge for former President Donald Trump indictment on federal charges.
Merrick Garland’s department harasses Christians for pro-life advocacy, but allows hardened criminals to walk our streets unpunished,” Vance said in a statement. “This must stop, and I will do everything in my ability to ensure it does.”
“Starting today, I will hold all Department of Justice nominations,” Vance added. “If Merrick Garland wants to use these officials to harass Joe Biden’s political opponents, we will grind his department to a halt.”
The decision by Vance will just slow down the confirmation process for Justice Department nominees. They will now all need to go through a procedural vote and a confirmation vote.
Vance’s hold will not extend to nominees to the U.S. Marshals Service.
-Miles J. Herszenhorn
McCarthy criticizes Biden as Trump faces classified documents arraignment
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has accused President Joe Biden of weaponizing the federal government after Trump was charged over his alleged mishandling of classified records.
The speaker on Monday also pointed to classified documents found in Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware home.
Asked whether it’s a “good look for the former president to have boxes in a bathroom,” a reference to allegations Trump stored classified documents in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago, McCarthy responded “Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.”
Justice Department officials have not confirmed whether they will indict Biden. Special counsel Robert Hur is leading an inquiry into the classified documents found at Biden’s home and former office.
– Marina Pitofsky
Arraigned meaning: Here's what is happening in Miami 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 Tuesday will be asked how he wants to plead to the official charges. In an interview with Politico published on Saturday, Trump said he doesn’t think he’ll be convicted, and said he’s not expecting to take a plea deal.
The judge will then decide if bail is required. They can also choose to set no bail, which would allow Trump to be immediately released without being placed in jail.
- Olivia Munson and Rachel Looker
Police shut down area near courthouse over "suspicious object"
The Miami Police Department said it was assisting the Department of Homeland Security with an investigation at North Miami Avenue and 3rd Street in the Florida city, an area that borders the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse.
Police were helping respond to a "suspicious object," according to multiple reports.
Traffic was shut down in the area, and officers moved reporters back outside the federal courthouse. It wasn't immediately clear what the suspicious object was, but reporters saw officers examining an object that looked like a television.
– Marina Pitofsky
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arraignment recap: Trump pleads not guilty, delivers speech in NJ
