Former US President Trump arrested

Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents, the Cable News Network (CNN) has reported.

During the former president's arraignment on Tuesday in a federal courthouse in Miami, Trump's attorneys requested a jury trial. Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty before the judge.

Trump sat slumped over during the session, his arms crossed and his expression scowling. He kept silent.

Walt Nauta, a Trump associate and co-defendant, was also detained, fingerprinted, and processed. Despite making an initial appearance on Tuesday, he won't be charged until June 27.

Trump cannot talk to Nauta about the matter, Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman ordered in court. Additionally, the judge instructed the prosecution to compile a list of potential witnesses with whom Trump could not speak about the case without a lawyer present.

However, the judge did not impose any travel limitations on either defendant.

The Justice Department advocated for the unconditional release of Trump and Nauta without any strings attached. David Harbach, the prosecutor, stated that "the government does not view either defendant as a flight risk."

Deputy marshals booked the former president and took digital copies of his fingerprints prior to the arraignment hearing. Trump is obviously recognizable, so they did not snap a mugshot of him. It took roughly 10 minutes to complete the booking.

In the Justice Department's investigation into the materials, Trump is accused of violating witness-tampering rules and improperly retaining information for national security on 37 felony counts.

Before entering the court, Trump said on social media that it was "ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. We are a declining nation.

Source: Advocate News Nigeria