Former President Donald Trump said it was a “very sad day for America” after pleading not guilty at his Thursday arraignment after being indicted on charges related to the 2020 election.
“This is a persecution of a political opponent,” Trump told reporters on the airport tarmac. “This was never supposed to happen in America.”
Trump appeared in Washington's federal courthouse after Special Counsel Jack Smith charged him on four felony counts: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
“This is the persecution of the person that's leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot,” Trump said.