Trump pleads not guilty to 2020 election charges

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared in a Washington, D.C., courtroom to answer federal, criminal charges. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith alleges that Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election results before the Capitol riots of Jan. 6, 2021. A grand jury indicted the former president on Tuesday. The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

What does Trump have to say about the charges? Trump said in a social media post that he had tried to challenge a corrupt election. He has denied wrongdoing, and his legal team has criticized the indictment as an attack on his free speech rights. This is the third criminal indictment against Trump this year. He also faces charges related to mishandling classified information and making hush money payments in connection with an alleged extramarital affair.

Dig deeper: Read R. Albert Mohler Jr.’s column in WORLD Opinions about the latest Trump indictment.