Former US president Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he hoarded classified documents detailing sensitive military secrets, and schemed to thwart government efforts to get them back.
Trump appeared before a judge in Miami’s federal court on Tuesday in a stunning moment in American history days after he became the first former president charged with federal crimes.
Trump was released without having to pay a bond. He does not have to surrender his passport or restrict his personal travel.
His first stop after court was a restaurant in the Little Havana neighbourhood of the city.
Inside, a group of people greeted him and laid hands on him in prayer. They also sang Happy Birthday to him – Mr Trump will be 77 on Wednesday.
“Some birthday, some birthday,” he said. “We’ve got a government that is out of control.”
Authorities say Mr Trump schemed and lied to block the government from recovering the documents, concerning nuclear programmes and other sensitive military secrets, stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
It is the second criminal case Mr Trump is facing as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024.
He is also accused in a New York state court of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, saying he is being unfairly targeted by political opponents who want to hurt his campaign.
But his former chief of staff, John Kelly, says he’s “scared sh*tless” of the legal action.
“This is the way he compensates for that. He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this. For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable. Up until this point in his life, it’s like, I’m not going to pay you, take me to court. He’s never been held accountable before.”
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