After 30 minutes it’s all over
Trump pleads ‘not guilty’
8/3/2023 10:52 p.m
Donald Trump is now routine in court appearances. When the most serious charges against him to date were announced in Washington, the ex-president, as expected, rejected all allegations. Shortly before that, he defended his commitment against the “corrupt election”.
As expected, former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to his role in the storming of the US Capitol at his hearing in court. At the hearing before Judge Moxila Upadhyaya in the capital Washington, the 77-year-old said he pleaded not guilty to all four charges against him. After his appearance, Trump repeated his allegations that he was being “persecuted” for political reasons.
The hearing lasted just under 30 minutes and was held in the same court where hundreds of Trump supporters had been convicted over the past two years for taking part in the storming of the US Congress seat. Judge Upadhyaya said she assures “everyone” that there will be a “fair trial and a fair trial.” Upadhyaya scheduled the next hearing for August 28. Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is also responsible for the trial against Trump, will preside over this hearing.
Small groups of demonstrators and onlookers had gathered in front of the building, and there was also an enormous media rush. Many broadcasting vans had already secured seats 24 hours before the appointment, so it was not even clear whether Trump would appear in person. Security barriers had also been erected around the court – as well as around the nearby Capitol, the seat of the US Congress.
Trump mimics the politically persecuted
After his brief court date and before he left Washington, Trump reiterated his statements about the trials against him. He was the victim of the “persecution of a political opponent,” Trump told reporters at the airport, stressing that this was a “very sad day” for the United States. It is about “pursuing the person who is ahead by a very, very clear margin in the Republican primaries and compared to Biden,” said Trump, referring to the presidential election next year and the incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden. Shortly before appearing in court, he once again railed against the judiciary, claiming it was “an honor” to answer for his efforts to stop a corrupt election.
Two days earlier, the 45-page indictment against Trump for storming the US Capitol had been published. In it, special counsel Jack Smith accuses him of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Despite better knowledge, he spread false claims about the election and also used people in the Ministry of Justice as an instrument for this. “Despite his defeat, the accused was determined to remain in power,” it says. Trump knew his fraud allegations were untrue. Trump led a conspiracy against the United States. He had teamed up with six accomplices who are not named in the indictment. They are four lawyers, one member of the judiciary and one political adviser.
The allegations of the prosecution weigh heavily, if convicted, the 77-year-old could face decades of imprisonment. Legally, however, a conviction would not prevent him from running in the 2024 election – especially since it is highly questionable whether a final judgment will be available by then.
Indictments eat up campaign budget
Shortly before his hearing, Trump had accused President Biden and the US Democrats of using the judiciary as a “weapon” against him in the online network Truth Social, which he founded. With numerous charges, he should be forced to spend time and money on legal proceedings instead of his election campaign, Trump said. In fact, the charges are costly for the Republican: His supporters of the Action Committee Save America (PAC) announced this week that they had only four million dollars (about 3.6 million euros) in the campaign coffers at the end of June. The committee has already spent $21.6 million on Trump’s attorneys this year.
Politically, however, Trump succeeds in capitalizing on the processes. He is currently considered the most promising Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. According to polls, the other presidential candidates in his party are far behind him. In a poll for the New York Times published earlier this week, Trump was 37 percentage points ahead of his most promising internal party competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.