2020 Election: Trump Pleads Not Guilty To Four Charges

The Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat in a Washington DC court.

During a short arraignment, he pleaded not guilty maintaining that he was not under the influence of any substance.

He said the case was “persecution of a political opponent.”

This marks the Former President’s third appearance in four months as a criminal defendant.

Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya told the Former President not to communicate about the facts of the case.

She warned him that failure to comply could result in an arrest warrant, revoked release conditions and contempt of court charges.

Prosecutors told the hearing the case would benefit from a speedy trial.

However, Trump defence attorney John Lauro said they would need more time to prepare.

He added that the prosecution’s timeline was “somewhat absurd” given that the investigation itself had taken three years.

The allegations laid out in the charge sheet, include a count of “conspiracy to impair, obstruct and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud and deceit.”

Mr Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, but he refused to concede defeat and mounted weeks of challenges across several US states.

Speaking to reporters before flying home to New Jersey, Mr Trump said his arraignment was a “very sad day for America.”

Mr Trump has already been charged in two other cases: with mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a porn star.

Mr Trump now faces five upcoming trials,  three in New York, over the hush-money payment, civil trials over business practices and alleged defamation of a woman who accused him of rape.

BBC/ Aisha