The latest on Trump’s court appearance in Florida
Donald Trump voluntarily surrendered at 3 p.m. to be formally charged. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 counts, including willful retention of national defence information and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
The arraignment, though largely procedural, is the latest in an unprecedented public reckoning this year for Trump, who faces charges in New York arising from hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign as well as continuing investigations in Washington and Atlanta into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 race.
Trump, a 2024 candidate for the Republican nomination, is staying in the race and has scheduled a speech and fundraiser for Tuesday night at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.
Find live updates below.
4:45 p.m.
Trump’s defense team still taking shape
Donald Trump was accompanied by two of his attorneys when he pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges. But his defense team is still evolving after at least three key members left in recent weeks.
Attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise appeared with the former president during his arraignment, days after two other lawyers who had been helping Trump’s defense – Jim Trusty and John Rowley – resigned in the wake of his indictment. Both Blanche and Kise indicated at the hearing that they would remain on the case permanently.
Trump has also sought to add a Florida-based criminal defense lawyer to his team in the days since his indictment, according to sources familiar with the conversations. No one has so far been publicly named.
Lindsey Halligan, a Florida attorney who has primarily handed insurance matters, has also been involved in the case as an attorney for Trump. She did not appear in court Tuesday.
Trump has accused prosecutors of seeking to damage his political prospects.
– Reuters
3:05 p.m.
Trump pleads not guilty in federal documents case
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges accusing him of mishandling classified documents and obstructing efforts to get them back, at a federal courthouse in Miami Tuesday afternoon.
Mr. Trump’s plea, entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in a federal court in Miami, sets up a legal battle likely to play out over coming months as he campaigns to win back the presidency in a November 2024 election. Experts say it could be a year or more before a trial takes place.
It will be the second courtroom visit for Mr. Trump in recent months. In April, he pleaded not guilty to state charges in New York stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star. Today’s appearance in Miami was on federal charges.
– Adrian Morrow and Reuters
2:25 p.m.
Former President and former aide in custody
Mr. Trump was in custody at a Miami courthouse to face criminal charges that he unlawfully kept national security documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them.
Mr. Trump and former aide Walt Nauta were booked, a court official said, ahead of an arraignment. when they were due to submit a plea.
Four black SUVs entered the garage beneath the Miami courthouse, followed by police officers, ahead of his scheduled 3 p.m. appearance. Security remained tight outside the building but there were no signs of significant disruptions. Once inside, he was formally booked, though he was not expected to have a mugshot taken.
Supporters wearing Make America Great Again hats and carrying American flags chanted “Miami for Trump” and “Latinos for Trump” as the motorcade paused outside the courthouse. A man could be heard chanting, “USA! USA!”
2:00 p.m.
Trump arrives at Miami court
Mr. Trump has arrived at a Miami courthouse to face criminal charges. His motorcade arrived Tuesday afternoon at the courthouse shortly before he’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge, a stunning moment in American history days after he became the first former president charged with federal crimes.
The former president is expected to be fingerprinted on his arrest, but will not have a mugshot taken or be handcuffed, both procedures common for prisoners in the U.S. The proceedings inside the courtroom will not be broadcast, nor will reporters inside be allowed to relay information in real time, meaning it could take until after the hearing is finished for information to emerge.
– Adrian Morrow and Associated Press
1:30 p.m.
Trump is on his way to Florida courthouse
Mr. Trump is on his way to the federal courthouse in Miami to face dozens of charges that he illegally hoarded classified documents.
Mr. Trump departed his Doral golf course Tuesday afternoon en route to the courthouse, where he is expected to surrender to federal authorities and face a judge.
Trump supporters and protesters hold signs in front of the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse before the arraignment of former President Donald Trump in Miami, Florida on June 13, 2023.GIORGIO VIERA/AFP/Getty Images
12:30 p.m.
Supporters and Protesters gather in Miami
Ahead of Mr. Trump’s court appearance, Miami police kept groups of protesters back from the court. At one point, they ordered the evacuation of a media area in response to a potential threat.
Mr. Trump supporters and protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse where the former president would be appearing. But supporters were noticeably few hours before the appearance — far outnumbered by the hundreds of journalists from the U.S. and around the world who have converged on downtown Miami for the historic occasion.
– Adrian Morrow and Associated Press
12:00 p.m.
Trump set to surrender at a Miami courthouse today at 3 p.m.
Mr. Trump is scheduled to be charged this afternoon with mishandling classified documents and obstructing efforts to get them back, becoming the first former U.S. president to face a federal criminal indictment.
Mr. Trump is expected to surrender at a federal courthouse in Miami Tuesday afternoon, after spending the night at his golf club in nearby Doral. He will be arrested and charged ahead of a 3 pm arraignment. Both pro- and anti-Trump protesters gathered near the court.
Some details, including whether Mr. Trump will be handcuffed and photographed, are not yet clear, nor is it known who will preside over the proceedings. Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge who issued legal rulings last year that slowed down the investigation, has reportedly been assigned. But prosecutors could try to get the case moved to a different judge.
Mr. Trump is expected to be released after the appearance and will fly to his estate in Bedminster, N.J., where he plans to make an evening speech.
Trump to appear in federal court in Miami today, entering uncharted political territory
What are the charges Trump faces?
The former president faces 37 counts, including willful retention of national defence information and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Federal special counsel Jack Smith‘s detailed indictment accuses Mr. Trump of taking at least 337 classified documents from the White House and stashing them at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate.
When the National Archives and the FBI tried to get the papers back, the indictment says, Mr. Trump deceived them and his own lawyers in a bid to keep the documents. On two occasions, he is accused of pulling out classified documents and showing them to people without security clearance.
What happens with the 2024 presidential election?
There is nothing stopping someone from running for or serving as president during a criminal prosecution or conviction. Mr. Trump vowed this past weekend to keep going even if he is found guilty. “I’ll never leave” the race, he said in an interview with Politico.
So far, most high-profile Republicans are backing him against the charges. Even Mr. Trump’s rivals for the presidential nomination, all of whom are far behind in the polls, have been reluctant to criticize him. Polling has consistently shown Mr. Trump in close competition with President Joe Biden in a rematch.