President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty.
Trump spoke before he boarded his airplane:
TRUMP: “This is a very sad day for America. And it was also very sad driving through Washington, DC and seeing the filth and the decay…this is not the same place that I left.”This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very substantial numbers in the Republican Primary and leading Biden by a lot. So if you can beat them, you persecute them or you prosecute them. We can’t let this happen in America.”
Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Trump’s legal spokeswoman spoke to the media:
Speaking to reporters outside of the Washington, DC courthouse on Thursday afternoon, Alina Habba repeated suggestions by several Trump allies that the timing of his indictments were made to distract from negative media attention on the Biden family.“This is not a coincidence. This is election interference at its finest against the leading candidate right now for president for either party,” Habba said. “President Trump is under siege in a way that we have never seen before. President Trump and his legal team and everyone on his team will continue to fight. Not for him, but for the American people.”She would not say directly whether she thought the case should move forward before or after the next presidential election, but said, “I think that every court needs to look at this as a whole.”“It’s not about the Jan. 6 case. It’s about the fact that in the matter of a couple of months, we have seen them try and tie up – and me as an attorney, I’ve never seen this – tie up one individual… who’s running a campaign, in a campaign, running for office for president, so that he is in court in depositions and distract him so that he won’t properly run for 2024. And frankly, it’s not going to work,” Habba said.
Trump arrived at the courthouse. His hearing is scheduled for 4:00 PM ET.
Landing in DC, Trump posts a video against DeSantis and a video of DeSantis praising him. I have to admit I’m laughing.
Trump is on his way to DC but still posting on Truth Social: “Biden and his family steal Millions and Millions of Dollars, including BRIBES from foreign countries, and I’m headed to D.C. to be ARRESTED for protesting a CROOKED ELECTION. UNFAIR VENUE, UNFAIR JUDGE. We are a Nation in Decline. MAGA!!!”
He also reposted a chart from Elise Stefanik showing the timeline proving the government targets Trump whenever bad news about Biden’s family appears in the news.
Trump then posted a video clip of Newt Gingrich saying, “This is so blatantly disgustingly political — that is has no business being in the Department of Justice.”
It seems upon landing in DC, Trump posted a video against DeSantis.
Trump left his Bedminster, NJ, residence around 1 PM ET:
I AM NOW GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE ARRESTED FOR HAVING CHALLENGED A CORRUPT, RIGGED, & STOLEN ELECTION. IT IS A GREAT HONOR, BECAUSE I AM BEING ARRESTED FOR YOU. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
Earlier this morning, Trump wrote, “I NEED ONE MORE INDICTMENT TO ENSURE MY ELECTION!”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY