Former President Donald Trump was arrested for the second time on Tuesday, this time for his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Here are five major takeaways from the former president’s historic arraignment in Miami.
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1. Trump pleaded not guilty
As expected, Trump pleaded not guilty to 31 counts for the willful retention of national defense information, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, one count of withholding a document or record, one count of corruptly concealing a document or record, one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation, one count for a scheme to conceal, and one count related to alleged false statements.
His plea will set up a long and bitter court battle. He also pleaded not guilty in his first indictment.
2. Jack Smith made an unannounced appearance
The special counsel investigating Trump, who the former president has vehemently derided as a “Trump Hating THUG” and “deranged lunatic,” unexpectedly appeared to face the former president in court for his arraignment.
While the two have played a prominent role in each other’s careers over the past several months, Tuesday marked the first time they had met in person. Smith’s appearance is unusual, as Trump’s previous high-profile special counsels never attended court to meet him face-to-face.
3. Trump was ordered not to speak to Walt Nauta about the case
The magistrate judge ordered Trump not to talk to “body man” Walt Nauta about the case in which they are co-defendants.
“There will be no communication about the case with fact witnesses who are on a list provided by the government,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman told Trump.
Nauta is accused of moving boxes of classified documents around Mar-a-Lago at the direction of Trump. He has earned high praise from the former president.
“I have just learned that the ‘Thugs’ from the Department of Injustice will be Indicting a wonderful man, Walt Nauta, a member of the U.S. Navy, who served proudly with me in the White House, retired as Senior Chief, and then transitioned into private life as a personal aide,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Friday. “He has done a fantastic job! They are trying to destroy his life, like the lives of so many others, hoping that he will say bad things about ‘Trump.’ He is strong, brave, and a Great Patriot.”
4. Trump made an appeal to his base via a rally and restaurant visit
As he did following his first indictment, Trump asked his supporters to assist him following his arraignment. The former president first spoke with supporters at a restaurant, then at a rally.
At the rally, Trump bashed President Joe Biden and his “injustice department.” The former president said that the case against him was baseless and entirely politically motivated. Near the end of his address, he turned his ire toward Biden’s family, saying that recent revelations concerning recordings of a Burisma executive allegedly showing Biden engaging in a bribery scheme proved that the president is the most corrupt in U.S. history.
“They got [Biden] and Hunter on 17 different tapes, supposedly, but the FBI isn’t showing them,” he continued. “Remember, they impeached me for asking a simple question about Biden’s corrupt dealings in Ukraine.”
The former president then gloated over being “right” about the Biden family’s relationship with foreign entities.
“I was right. I was right. I was totally right,” he said. “Joe Biden and the radical Left can take foreign bribes and be totally protected.”
Trump vowed to appoint a “real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family.”
Trump’s pledge about Biden triggered a “lock him up” chant from the crowd.
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5. Where does the case go from here?
The case will now move to District Judge Aileen Cannon, a judge appointed by Trump himself. Her previous rulings have given the former president a lot of leeway, leading many to suspect that she may side with Trump.
