Trump indictment LIVE updates: Former US president appears in court, pleads not guilty over January 6 US Capitol attack

Donald Trump is speaking to the media before departing Washington, having pleaded not guilty to four felony counts relating to his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

In comments that lasted less than 60 seconds, Trump declared it a “very sad day for America” and bemoaned the “filth and decay” he saw during his short time in the US capital, most of which was spent inside the courtroom.

“It was also very sad driving through Washington and seeing the filth and decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti. This is not the place that I left,” the 45th president said.

“When you look at what’s happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent.

“This was never supposed to happen in America.

“This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot.

“So if you can’t beat him, you persecute him or your prosecute him. We can’t let this happen in America.”

Trump finished his remarks and did not take any questions.

As expected, Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to four counts relating to his alleged attempts to overthrow the result of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden.

The magistrate assigned to his arraignment hearing, Moxila A Upadhyaya, was running late and started the proceedings almost 20 minutes after they were slated to begin.

Upadhyaya referred to him as “Mr Trump” and “sir” rather than president, as is often the case in the US, and was used by Trump’s own lawyer.

Trump stood and raised his right hand to take the oath from the court official.

Trump provided his name and age as “seven seven,” before the magistrate read out the four felony counts he faces and the maximum sentence of 20 years that a guilty verdict would bring.

He entered his not guilty plea himself.

Read more from our US correspondent Farrah Tomazin in Washington: Trump returns to Washington to plead not guilty for trying to overturn 2020 election results

Former US president Donald Trump is inside the courtroom attending his arraignment hearing.

CBS reporter Scott MacFarlane, who is inside the courtroom, says that Trump is seated between two attorneys facing the empty jury box, wearing the same navy suit with red tie that he wore for his two prior court hearings.

Meanwhile, NBC’s Ryan J Reilly also reports that Trump has spent time seated alone at the defence table.

Read more from our US correspondent Farrah Tomazin in Washington: Trump returns to Washington to plead not guilty for trying to overturn 2020 election results

Donald Trump will appear before magistrate judge Moxila A Upadhyaya for what is largely a procedural hearing. A separate judge, Tanya Chutkan, will oversee any subsequent trial.

He is expected to fly to Washington from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey aboard his private jet.

Naturally, security will be intense.

Trump is expected to be fingerprinted as he is processed for his court hearing, but The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush reports that he will not have a mug shot taken.

Read more: Escorted, fingerprinted and booked: Donald Trump’s date with destiny

And that’s where we will end our live coverage of the third, but most significant indictment hearing that former president Donald Trump has faced in four months.

Recapping the events overnight:

• Trump pleaded not guilty to four felony counts relating to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
• He flew from New Jersey to Washington to attend the hearing in person and registered his plea himself.
• He was released on conditions, including that he commit no crimes or talk to witnesses about the case.
• The arraignment lasted about 30 minutes after starting 20 minutes late because the magistrate was late.
• Trump’s next hearing will be on August 28 when a trial date is expected to be set.
• Before departing Washington, Trump spoke for about a minute and decried the events as a “sad day for America”, accusing Biden of prosecuting him because he hadn’t been able to persecute him strongly enough to dent his popularity.

Read more from our US correspondent Farrah Tomazin in Washington: ‘We can’t let this happen’, Trump says after pleading not guilty to 2020 election plot

Thank you, as always, for joining us.

Donald Trump is speaking to the media before departing Washington, having pleaded not guilty to four felony counts relating to his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

In comments that lasted less than 60 seconds, Trump declared it a “very sad day for America” and bemoaned the “filth and decay” he saw during his short time in the US capital, most of which was spent inside the courtroom.

“It was also very sad driving through Washington and seeing the filth and decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti. This is not the place that I left,” the 45th president said.

“When you look at what’s happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent.

“This was never supposed to happen in America.

“This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot.

“So if you can’t beat him, you persecute him or your prosecute him. We can’t let this happen in America.”

Trump finished his remarks and did not take any questions.

And that concludes Donald Trump’s arraignment hearing. The former president has left the courtroom after a brief appearance.

His motorcade is on the way to Reagan International Airport.

His court arraignment lasted about 30 minutes, having started 20 minutes late because the magistrate was late.

Put August 28 in your diaries, as this is when a trial date is expected to be set.

Team Trump has already suggested they want a trial held as late as possible, with his lawyer Alina Habba citing the process of legal discovery as a reason for needing a lot of time.

The Associated Press reports that three police officers who helped defend the US Capitol against the violent mob that Trump is accused of inciting are attending his court arraignment.

They are Daniel Hodges and Aquilino Gonnell, who were injured in the violence, and Harry Dunn, who was chased by violent protesters.

“All I have wanted from day one is accountability,” Dunn said in a statement released by his lawyer after he went into the federal court in Washington.

Also in the courtroom is special counsel Jack Smith who has brought the prosecution against Trump.

Former US president Donald Trump is inside the courtroom attending his arraignment hearing.

CBS reporter Scott MacFarlane, who is inside the courtroom, says that Trump is seated between two attorneys facing the empty jury box, wearing the same navy suit with red tie that he wore for his two prior court hearings.

Meanwhile, NBC’s Ryan J Reilly also reports that Trump has spent time seated alone at the defence table.

Read more from our US correspondent Farrah Tomazin in Washington: Trump returns to Washington to plead not guilty for trying to overturn 2020 election results