Trump’s attorneys enter not-guilty plea in election interference trial

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf Thursday during a Washington D.C. court hearing. Trump waived his presence at the hearing earlier this week and provided notice of his plea. The hearing comes after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a new, superseding indictment against the former president.

Why is there a new indictment? The latest iteration of the indictment drops charges previously included that pertained to official acts Trump committed while he was president. The Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that former presidents are entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for their official acts. In that ruling, the court ordered the judge overseeing Trump’s case in Washington, D.C. to determine whether or not the charges against the former president pertained to his official acts.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew about how the Justice Department is appealing a judge’s decision in Florida to dismiss charges against Trump alleging he mishandled classified documents.