Name: Trump Pleads Not Guilty in Historic Federal Case
Uploaded: 2023-06-14T08:32:17.000Z
Description: Former president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday to 37 felony charges related to his handling of classified government documents.

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

US and Mexico Start 3-Day USMCA Trade Talks After Us Imposed 50 Percent Tariff on Canada

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

66 Percent of California Adults Oppose 2035 Zero-Emission Car Mandate

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

‘It’s About Time’: Brownstone Institute President’s Reaction to Federal Government’s Pause on Medicaid Payments

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Novo Nordisk Sues Eli Lilly Over Drug Ads

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

Capitol Hill Panel Warns of CCP Human Rights Abuses, AI, and Cyber Warfare

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens React to Socialist Trend Within Democratic Party

Fiona Ji is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers local news.

Fiona Ji

New State Department Report Describes Cuban Regime's Subversion in US

Communist Cuba’s 'Decade Long Project to Sow Discord Within the US': Policy Analyst

Calls Grow to Hold CCP Officials Accountable for Ongoing Persecution of Falun Gong

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Lionel Messi’s Potential Retirement In Discussion

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 20)

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Chris Beers

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 19)

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

Full Episodes

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 18)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 17)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 16)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 12)

Tom Gantert is a reporter for The Epoch Times.

Tom Gantert

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

US News

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Uses Recent Speeches to Warn Americans of Resurging Communism

NTD+ is a streaming platform featuring exclusive programming, investigative news analysis, and award-winning documentaries.


NTD+

Shorts

Alleged Reflecting Pool Vandalism Caught on Video

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

Iran's Football Team Leaves Note of Friendship

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Congress

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. 

Jack Phillips

Andrew Thomas is a reporter for NTD News primarily covering business, the economy, and technology. 

Andrew Thomas

World News

Middle East

UN Maritime Group to Rescue 11,000 Sailors Stranded in Middle East

Mary Man is a writer for NTD. She has traveled around the world covering China, international news, and arts and culture.

Mary Man

China News

China Floods: Thousands at Risk After Multiple Dams Collapse in Guangxi

NTD Films

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Iran

US, Iran Launch New Strikes; Trump Warns Ceasefire May Collapse

Former president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday to 37 felony charges related to his handling of classified government documents.

"One of the saddest days in the history of our country," Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110538151610033873">wrote</a> on Truth Social on June 13 while en route to the federal courthouse. "We are a nation in decline!!!"

Trump and his Republican supporters have decried the charges as politically motivated, while others see them as evidence that no one is above the law.

The plea marks the latest step in a years-long legal battle between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the former president, one that now has serious implications for the 2024 presidential race in which Trump is the leading Republican candidate.

This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in a bathroom at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. (Department of Justice via AP)


<h2>The Arraignment</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The former president arrived at the federal courthouse in Miami more than an hour prior to his scheduled 3 p.m. arraignment. The case is the first time a former president of the United States was formally accused of violating federal law. </span>

A large crowd of Trump supporters gathered among the rows of palm trees in the spacious court plaza.

At the hearing, Trump appeared calm and composed in his trademark blue suit and red tie as he appeared before Judge Aileen Cannon, whom he appointed to the federal bench in 2020.

Trump was flanked by attorneys Todd Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, and Christopher Kise, a former solicitor general of Florida, as Special Counsel Jack Smith presented the government's charges.

The indictment alleges that Trump unlawfully retained 31 government documents, including some classified as top secret.

The documents included “information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack,” according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Trump showed classified documents to others twice in 2021, a potential violation of the federal Espionage Act.

The most serious charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

Trump has steadfastly maintained his innocence, calling the charges “a travesty of justice,” “election interference,” and a “witch hunt.”

A man holds a Trump sign outside the federal courthouse in Miami on June 13, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/Epoch Times)


<h2>Timeline of the Case</h2>
The case centers on a chain of events that began over two years ago with a request by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for the return of government records. It eventually led to the execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, the appointment of a special prosecutor, and the June 8 indictment of the former president.

On May 6, 2021, NARA requested records from Trump, believing that a number of government documents were missing. In December of that year, a Trump representative told NARA that about a dozen boxes of presidential records had been located at Mar-A-Lago and that staffers were searching for more.

In January 2022, Trump’s representatives provided 15 boxes of documents to NARA.

In February, NARA said it had found “items marked as classified national security information” among the Trump documents. In April the White House Counsel’s Office asked that NARA provide the FBI access to the 15 Mar-A-Lago boxes. The FBI later said that agents found 67 documents marked “confidential,” 92 marked “secret,” and 25  marked “top secret.”

Trump, who had not conceded the 202o presidential race, maintained that he had declassified the materials.

In June Trump attorneys provided the NARA with another 38 documents with classification markings, including five documents marked “confidential,” 16 marked “secret,” and 17 marked “top secret." Trump’s representatives attested at the time that, following a diligent search, they believed no other classified materials remained at Mar-A-Lago.

In August, FBI agents served a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago in what many describe as a raid on the former president’s home. Agents seized 36 items containing about 100 classified records. The Department of Justice (DOJ) later asserted that classified materials were “likely concealed and removed” from a Mar-a-Lago storage room to obstruct the investigation.

Trump announced his 2024 presidential campaign on November 15, 2022. The DOJ appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to oversee the investigations against Trump three days later.

Trump announced on social media on June 8, 2023, that his lawyers had informed him of the indictment against him.

Supporters fly flags on a boat to show support near former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 1, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)


<h2>Trump Unfazed</h2>
Trump returned to the campaign trail two days after announcing the indictment. Addressing supporters in Columbus, Georgia, the former president took the offensive against both the DOJ and President Joe Biden.

“The ridiculous and baseless indictment by the Biden administration’s weaponized Department of Injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country,” he told a capacity crowd of about 3,000 people who gathered for the GOP convention on June 10.

Trump and others allege that his indictment was timed to divert attention from an emerging alleged bribery scandal centering on Democrat President Joe Biden—information that House Republicans are prying loose after the FBI.

“Biden is trying to jail his leading political opponent, just like they do in Stalinist Russia or Communist China,” Trump told the audience.

Trump also pointed to the fact that Biden also possessed classified documents from his time as a U.S. senator.

“Biden didn’t have any authority and he had no right to possess those documents,” Trump said. “Yet nothing happened to ‘Crooked Joe.’”

Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence both voluntarily surrendered classified documents they discovered among their papers to the federal government last year.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures to the audience after delivering remarks in Greensboro, N.C., on June 10, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)


<h2>Politicians React</h2>
Most Republican politicians view the indictment as a political attack against Trump.

“It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him. Joe Biden kept classified documents for decades,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wrote on Twitter.

“Joe Biden has used his Justice Department … tonight to indict his top political opponent, Trump. He has trampled the rule of law to benefit himself. He has led the country into profound danger,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1666958453225529378?cxt=HHwWxIC9vbP4nKIuAAAA">wrote</a> on Twitter.

Contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination generally took the same tack, attacking the DOJ rather than Trump, their political opponent.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis decried the "weaponization of federal law enforcement." Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the American people are "exhausted by prosecutorial overreach."

Only former governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas criticized Trump over the indictment.

Christie said Trump’s wounds were “self-inflicted” in a televised June 9 interview on Fox News. “That's weight that Donald Trump will have to carry if he's the nominee into a general election in November. And why do we want to take that risk?” Christie said.

Hutchinson called for Trump to drop out of the presidential contest in a <a href="https://twitter.com/AsaHutchinson/status/1666976882661949440/photo/1">statement </a>on June 8. “This reaffirms the need for Donald Trump to respect the office and end his campaign.”

Democrats viewed the indictment as evidence that the American justice system is working.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/1666956567357407233">wrote</a> on Twitter the indictment affirms the rule of law. “For four years, he acted like he was above the law. But he should be treated like any other lawbreaker. And today, he has been,” Schiff wrote.

"The chaos of Trump continues," Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepGregLandsman/status/1666956991518896128">wrote</a> on Twitter. "What he’s doing to this country, the extremism and danger he and his allies present, has to end."
<h2>The Road Ahead</h2>
Many legal experts believe the Trump defense team will attempt to draw out the proceedings as long as possible.

For Trump, the 2024 campaign continues. Even if convicted of the charges, no law prevents him from running for or winning the presidency.

<em>Janice Hisle, Jackson Richman, and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.</em>

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-pleads-not-guilty-in-historic-federal-case_5329816.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Court

Videos

01_Lead Story

04_Top Stories

Miami

Latest Clips

Management

Janice Hisle reports on former President Donald Trump's campaign for the 2024 general election ballot and related issues. Before joining The Epoch Times, she worked for more than two decades as a reporter for newspapers in Ohio and authored several books. She is a graduate of Kent State University's journalism program. You can reach Janice at: janice.hisle@epochtimes.us

Janice Hisle

02_Second Lead

Lawrence Wilson covers politics for The Epoch Times.

Lawrence Wilson

Donald Trump

Trump Indictments

Trump DOJ Indictment

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

Trump Pleads Not Guilty in Historic Federal Case

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 21)

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 20)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 20)

Special Coverage

[LIVE July 23 at 11:30 AM ET] 2026 Rally and March to End the Persecution of Falun Dafa

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 17)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 17)

Tiffany Meier is an anchor, China news investigative reporter, and producer for NTD News based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Tiffany anchors NTD's flagship shows "NTD Evening News" and "China in Focus" and co-moderates NTD's special election coverage "The Nation Decides." She produced the award-winning NTD Original documentary "Hollywood Takeover: China's Control in the Film Industry."


Tiffany Meier

NTD Special Coverage: Trump Addresses the Nation

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 16)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 16)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 15)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 15)

Kevin Hogan is an NTD News data reporter and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Kevin covers breaking news, as well as U.S. and global current events. He conveys the news through data visualizations and investigates pressing issues.