Trump, Prosecuted for the Third Time, Appears in Washington Court... Likely to Plead Not Guilty

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who was additionally indicted on charges including attempting to overturn the presidential election results, appeared at the Washington DC federal court on the 3rd (local time). This marks his third court appearance this year alone. After benefiting from a conservative base rally following two previous criminal indictments, Trump is expected to plead not guilty again on this occasion.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to the Washington Post (WP) and others, Trump, who departed from New Jersey, arrived at the Washington DC federal district court around 3:20 p.m. to undergo arraignment procedures. Previously, a U.S. federal grand jury indicted Trump on four charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, defrauding the nation, and spreading election fraud, alleging that after losing the 2020 presidential election, he falsely incited his supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6. These charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Trump is expected to fully deny the charges during the arraignment as well. This is the third time Trump has been indicted and appeared in court. In April, he appeared at the New York district court on charges related to hush money payments for a sexual misconduct scandal, and in June, he appeared at the Miami federal court on charges of leaking and illegally storing government classified documents. At those times, he also fully denied the allegations, calling them a "witch hunt." Out of respect for the former president, procedures such as mug shots (criminal identification photos) were reportedly omitted this time as well.

One day before his court appearance, he posted on Truth Social, claiming, "The unprecedented indictment of a very successful former president and the leading candidate for the upcoming Republican primary and general election has reminded the world of the corruption and failures that have occurred in the U.S. over the past three years." He also expressed gratitude to his supporters, saying, "Such overwhelming support has never been seen before" and "Thank you all."

The previous two indictments actually worked as a boon for Trump by consolidating conservative votes. This indictment is also expected to have a similar effect of rallying his base. In a recent public opinion poll, Trump’s support rate as a Republican presidential candidate overwhelmingly surpasses that of competitors such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy claimed that this indictment is an attempt by President Joe Biden to divert attention from allegations related to Hunter Biden and to attack the leading candidate in the next presidential election.

However, as judicial risks surrounding Trump persist, there is growing analysis that it will inevitably have a negative impact on his presidential campaign. The Georgia prosecutor is also expected to indict Trump soon on charges including pressuring the Georgia Secretary of State to overturn the 2020 election results. Having to campaign during the primary season while simultaneously facing trials ahead of the 2024 presidential election will inevitably be a burden for Trump. According to a poll conducted by Ipsos immediately after the indictment, 45% of Republican supporters responded that they would not vote if Trump were convicted of a serious crime.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.