Former President Trump entered a not guilty plea in federal court in Miami on Tuesday, as he made his first appearance after being indicted on 37 counts in the federal investigation into classified documents found at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.
Todd Blanche, one of the president’s attorneys, entered the plea on Trump’s behalf, according to reports.
The proceedings concluded, Trump’s motorcade left the federal courthouse and made a stop at a popular café in Miami’s Little Havana community. Just before 5 p.m., his jet took off from Miami’s airport to New Jersey.
He kicked off his post-arraignment speech in Bedminster around 8:45 p.m., and concluded around 9:15 p.m.
Trump concluded his remarks around 9:15 p.m. to applause from supporters.
His speech was laced with misleading or inaccurate claims about his case, arguing that the Presidential Records Act gives him total authority to posses government materials after leaving office.
The act states that all official records belong to the Archives once a president leaves office.
Trump also attacked President Biden at length, accusing Biden of sticking the Justice Department on him. The White House has repeatedly said that it is remaining independent of the Justice Department.
“This is called election interference in yet another attempt to rig and steal a presidential election,” Trump said.
—Brett Samuels
Trump again attacked special counsel Jack Smith during his remarks to supporters, calling him a “deranged lunatic.”
“The prosecutor in the case, I will call our case, is a thug. I have named him ‘deranged Jack Smith.’ I wonder what his name used to be,” Trump said, baselessly suggesting Smith has changed his name.
Trump has a history of relentlessly attacking judges and prosecutors handling his cases, and his comments could eventually lead to a judge restricting his ability to comment on the case.
—Brett Samuels
Trump emerged from his Bedminster club at 8:45 p.m. to chants of his name from supporters gathered outside.
Trump’s remarks are now likely to begin closer to 8:45 p.m., according to an aide to the former president.
The former president is expected to deliver remarks to the crowd of supporters before hosting them inside his club for a fundraiser and reception.
—Brett Samuels
A variety of notable Trump allies are arriving at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, N.J., for the former president’s speech following his arraignment earlier Tuesday.
The guests reportedly include MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has also gained attention for spreading Trump’s false claims of the 2020 presidential election being stolen; Andrew Giuliani, the son of his former attorney Rudy Giuliani; and Kash Patel, who served as the chief of staff to the acting Defense secretary during the Trump administration.
Other guests are former Trump 2020 campaign Chief Operating Officer Michael Glassner and Robert Jeffress, a pastor and close Trump ally.
—Jared Gans
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) emphasized the importance of peaceful protests outside former President Trump’s arraignment Tuesday as he appears poised to potentially join the 2024 race for president.
Suarez posted a video on his Twitter account showing him meeting with those protesting Trump’s indictment and assuring them that “everything is safe.”
“My role here today is to just maintain the peace and be the mayor of the city, and that’s what I’m focusing on,” he said in the video.
“Today was about keeping people safe. We achieved it,” he wrote along with the video.
Suarez is expected to decide soon on possibly mounting a bid for the GOP nomination for president in 2024.
—Jared Gans
Former President Donald Trump boards his personal plane at Miami International Airport, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami. Trump appeared in federal court Tuesday on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department’s efforts to get the records back. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there are “lots of indications” that the allegations against Trump are true.
“First, if the allegations are true, and there’s lots of indications that they are, President Trump had classified documents where he shouldn’t have had them, and then, when given the opportunity to return them, he chose not to do that for whatever reason,” Pompeo said in an interview on Fox News.
He said everyone can make mistakes, but they need to turn the documents in when someone points that out.
“So that’s just inconsistent with protecting America’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines and if the allegations are true, some of these were pretty serious, important documents. So that’s wrong,” Pompeo said.
—Jared Gans
Trump rode to court with his son Eric, who accompanied the motorcade from the former president’s Doral resort to the federal courthouse in Miami.
CNN aired footage of Trump walking to a line of SUVs with his son by his side while someone yelled, “Let’s go Trump!”
The former president could be seen stopping and waving at supporters, as well as chatting with staff members. Eric Trump appeared to clap his father on the back just before he climbed in a vehicle.
—The Associated Press
Trump is set to address his supporters hours after his court hearing on Tuesday from a location that plays a central role in the federal indictment against him: his Bedminster, N.J., club.
The former president is flying back from Miami to New Jersey late Tuesday afternoon, and he is scheduled to give remarks at 8:15 p.m. Reporters on site posted photos of dozens of folding chairs set up on the patio of the Bedminster club, many of them assigned to prominent Trump allies like Mike Lindell, Kash Patel and Sebastian Gorka.
Trump is likely to blast special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation and resulting indictment as politically motivated and an effort to thwart his bid for another White House term.
Bedminster is prominently featured in two key incidents mentioned in Smith’s indictment.
—Brett Samuels
Trump, in his first Truth Social post since leaving court, thanked Miami for a “warm welcome” during his brief trip into the city for his arraignment.
“Thank you Miami. Such a warm welcome on such a SAD DAY for our Country!” Trump wrote.
The former president is headed back to New Jersey on Tuesday evening.
— Brett Samuels
Donald Trump gathered with supporters at Versailles, a popular Cuban restaurant located in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami following the arraignment.
Trump promised “food for everyone” and was met with chants of “USA!” by supporters. Co-defendant Walt Nauta, his aide, was also present at the restaurant.
— Rebecca Beitsch
Donald Trump’s attorneys and the Justice Department have clashed over Trump’s contact with witnesses in the case, including many who still work for him at Mar-a-Lago, a group that includes Trump aide Walt Nauta, who faces his own charges in the case.
Prosecutors spoke with a number of Mar-a-Lago employees while crafting the case.
Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman determined that Trump and Nauta could only communicate about the case through their attorneys, while the Justice Department is tasked with crafting a list of witnesses it wishes to block Trump from communicating with.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper offered a blistering criticism of a statement given by former president Trump’s spokesperson following his arraignment on federal charges, calling it “crazy.”
“In recent years, we have seen the rise of politically motivated prosecutors,” Alina Habba, the Trump spokesperson, told reporters gathered outside the Miami courthouse. “The people in charge of this country do not love America. They hate Donald Trump.”
“Okay well, that’s a lot of crazy,” Tapper responded before turning back to the CNN panel for discussion on the charges against Trump and the political implications of his indictment.
— Dominick Mastrangelo
Trump’s motorcade departed the courthouse just before 4 p.m., driving by onlookers and supporters of the former president following Trump’s court hearing.
The former president is set to return to his Bedminster, N.J., club on Tuesday evening, where he is scheduled to deliver remarks at 8:15.
— Brett Samuels