Donald Trump appeared in a Miami courtroom to face criminal charges that he unlawfully kept national security documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them.
"We have a country that is in decline like never before—and we can't let it happen."
WATCH: President Trump speaks to supporters before his speech in Bedminster tonight. pic.twitter.com/Kg0q5TVdz2
Trump was due to submit a plea at an arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman that was closed to cameras and live broadcasts. His former aide Walt Nauta, also charged in the case, appeared in court as well.
It was the second courtroom visit for 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. Tuesday’s appearance in Miami was on federal charges.
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!”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told reporters outside the courthouse that there had not been any security problems.
Authorities had braced for crowds of up to 50,000 people and prepared for possible violence, recalling the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence and accuses Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration of targeting him. He called Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution, a “Trump hater” on social media on Tuesday.
Smith accuses Trump of risking national secrets by taking thousands of sensitive papers with him when he left the White House in January 2021 and storing them in a haphazard manner at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate and his New Jersey golf club, according to a grand jury indictment released last week.
The U.S. has ordered TSMC to stop shipping advanced AI and GPU chips to China starting Monday.
This decision follows concerns that TSMC chips were found in Huawei’s AI processors, potentially violating export controls. TSMC has informed its Chinese clients that shipments are now suspended. Huawei, already on the U.S. trade blacklist, faces further challenges in developing AI technology. The U.S. is also targeting other companies involved in shipping these chips to China as part of a broader effort to limit China’s access to advanced tech. TSMC has confirmed it will follow all export regulations.
Special Counsel Jack Smith moves to vacate pretrial deadlines as DOJ weighs next steps after Trump’s Election Day victory.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday granted Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request to pause proceedings in former President Donald Trump’s federal Jan. 6 case.
The decision halts upcoming pretrial deadlines, allowing the Department of Justice (DOJ) time to consider next steps after Trump’s recent electoral win.
Smith’s motion filed on Friday highlighted the unprecedented situation, noting, “as a result of the election,” the DOJ seeks to vacate remaining deadlines to “assess this unprecedented circumstance.”
Judge Chutkan agreed, instructing the prosecution to submit a status report on December 2 with its proposed course of action.
The request marks a pivotal step, likely steering toward a halt in prosecution, given the DOJ’s longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
Trump’s victory, making him the first convicted felon elected to the White House, has prompted DOJ officials to deliberate on how best to close Smith’s two federal cases against him.
Had Trump lost the race against Vice President Harris, the former president could have faced potential prison time.
However, this Election Day win likely shields him from criminal consequences while in office.