During his almost 30-minute hearing on Thursday in a Washington DC courthouse, former US president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and defraud the American people.  

The hearing took place at the same courthouse where Trump supporters were convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. 

After magistrate judge Moxila Upadhyaya read the four criminal counts and the potential maximum prison sentences in the indictment 45-pages long, brought forward by special counsel Jack Smith, Trump said: "Not guilty."

Trump claimed to reporters at Reagan National Airport before leaving Washington aboard his private plane that the charges against him were "persecution of a political opponent."    

"This is a very sad day for America," he added, "This is the persecution of the person that's leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading (President Joe) Biden by a lot." 

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"So if you can't beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him," adding that this cannot be allowed in America. 

Later that same day, he took to his Truth Social account to say that "it was a very good day!" despite that it was a trip "to a filthy, dirty, falling apart & very unsafe Washington".

The next hearing for the case is due on August 28 before US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will preside over the trial.   

Upadhyaya assured that she "can guarantee to everybody there will be a fair process and a fair trial".

Necessary racks of millions

It seems like his fundraiser team, the Save America leadership PAC, will have to raise additional funds to cover the legal fees, which have so far racked up to more than $40 million.

Trump, alongside Carlos De Oliveira, head of maintenance at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, and Trump aide Walt Nauta, are being indicted with two obstruction counts on allegations that they attempted to erase surveillance footage at Mar-a-Lago in the summer of 2022.

At a campaign stop in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Trump claimed, "These are ridiculous indictments, and all they're doing is hoping for massive election interference."

In the past, the leadership PAC is reported to have garnered tens of millions of dollars to cover legal costs for both Trump and his allies. In response, a Trump campaign spokesperson called the payments necessary: "The weaponized Department of Justice has continued to go after innocent Americans because they worked for President Trump and they know they have no legitimate case."