Former President Donald Trump is set to have his initial appearance in federal court in Washington, DC, after being indicted in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Trump is flying to Washington before heading to US District Court for his 4 p.m. ET appearance. He is expected to speak after the appearance, before he departs to return to Bedminster, New Jersey.
The former president is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya. Handling the case going forward will be federal District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
After arriving at the courthouse, Trump is expected to be placed under arrest, processed and likely arraigned in court. Because Trump has already been processed in the federal system for his arrest in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, his booking today is likely to be streamlined.
Trump is expected to plead not guilty and to be released pending trial. He has been charged with four counts:
- Conspiracy to defraud the United States
- Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
- Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding
- Conspiracy against rights
Law enforcement officials are monitoring for potential threats, protests and online chatter as well as coordinating with one another on security plans. DC’s Metropolitan Police Department will be leading security in the district, while US Secret Service oversees protection of the former president, and the US Marshals Service runs security inside the courthouse.
This is Trump's third arrest in four months. Smith charged Trump in the classified documents probe in June, and a Manhattan grand jury charged the former president for business fraud in March. Trump, who is running for president in 2024, pleaded not guilty in both cases.