Ex-US president Donald Trump was taken into custody on Tuesday in Florida, pleading not guilty to federal charges of illicit retention of national security documents and lying to authorities trying to retrieve them.
Trump and his aide Walt Nauta were processed, with deputy marshals fingerprinting the duo. Trump’s plea, submitted to US Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in a Miami federal court, hints at an impending legal battle as he prepares for the November 2024 election.
Read: Trump’s Lawyer Defends Indictment Charges, Claims Political Motivation
This marked Trump’s second courtroom appearance in recent months, after pleading not guilty in April to state charges in New York related to a covert payment to an adult film actress.
Trump is the first ex-president charged with federal crimes. He consistently claims his innocence, alleging the Biden administration’s pursuit against him. He labeled Special Counsel Jack Smith, the prosecution lead, as a “Trump hater” on social media.
