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Former president Donald Trump appeared at a Miami federal court on June 13 on charges that he mishandled classified information. He pleaded not guilty. (Video: HyoJung Kim/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Donald Trump has first court date in historic federal case

Updated June 13, 2023 at 10:34 p.m. EDT|Published June 13, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
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Former president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance in the federal case brought against him in Miami. He was booked by authorities ahead of the hearing in connection with his alleged storage of highly sensitive documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate — and alleged lying and obstructing when federal officials tried to retrieve them. This is the first time a former president has been indicted on federal charges. Trump, who is running for president again, claims the prosecution by the Justice Department is politically motivated. Federal and local authorities ramped up security preparations ahead of Trump’s federal court appearance as his supporters demonstrated outside the courthouse.

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“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said in court.
Trump faces 37 charges related to his retention of and failure to return classified documents when the federal government demanded them. Read the full text of the indictment here.
Waltine “Walt” Nauta, Trump’s longtime valet, was listed as co-defendant in the indictment and appeared in court Tuesday alongside his boss. But Nauta did not enter a plea because he did not have legal representation.
Trump also has been indicted by a state-level grand jury in New York City for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to an adult-film star from 2016. He also faces legal exposure related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the 2020 election in Georgia.
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“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said in court.
Trump faces 37 charges related to his retention of and failure to return classified documents when the federal government demanded them. Read the full text of the indictment here.
Waltine “Walt” Nauta, Trump’s longtime valet, was listed as co-defendant in the indictment and appeared in court Tuesday alongside his boss. But Nauta did not enter a plea because he did not have legal representation.
Trump also has been indicted by a state-level grand jury in New York City for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to an adult-film star from 2016. He also faces legal exposure related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the 2020 election in Georgia.
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More on the Trump classified documents indictment

The latest: Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he broke the law by keeping and hiding top secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The judge set a trial date for Aug. 14, but Trump has asked to delay the trial until after the 2024 election.

The charges: Trump is accused of violating seven federal laws but faces 37 separate charges. Here’s a breakdown of all of the charges against Trump and what they mean. Read the full text of the Trump indictment and our top takeaways from the indictment.

The case: The criminal investigation looks into whether Trump took government secrets with him after he left the White House and obstructed a subsequent investigation. Here’s what to know about the classified documents case.

Can Trump still run for president? While it has never been attempted by a candidate from a major party before, Trump is allowed to run for president while under indictment — or even if he is convicted of a crime. Here’s how Trump’s indictment could impact the 2024 election.

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