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Former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to four charges of criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from the courthouse.
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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: US TRUMP THURSDAY (TV)
HEADLINE: Trump Pleads Not Guilty to Accusations He Illegally Tried to Upend 2020 Election Loss
TEASER: Trump remains frontrunner for 2024 Republican presidential nomination
PUBLISHED AT: 08/03/23
BYLINE: Katherine Gypson
PRODUCERS: Katherine Gypson
CONTRIBUTING:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Jepsen, Holly Franko
VIDEO SOURCE (S):
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT:
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO: ))
[[Former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to four charges of criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from the courthouse.]]
((NARRATOR))
((Broll of Trump in court Thursday then over to broll of US Capitol and January 6th))
Not guilty … that’s the plea former President Donald Trump entered Thursday in a Washington courtroom, just down the street from the U.S. Capitol that was attacked on January 6, 2021, by rioters attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
((Open for nat sound of January 6th))
((NARRATOR))
((Broll of Jack Smith then use Graphic from Gypson WED Trump TV Pkg))
Federal prosecutors allege Trump’s claims of election fraud inspired that attack then over to Trump at presser))
Trump answered charges handed down from a grand jury of U.S. citizens based on a Department of Justice investigation alleging he committed conspiracy to defraud the government, obstructed an official proceeding and conspired to obstruct an official proceeding. Trump said in a news conference later Thursday that he had the constitutional right to free speech to voice concerns about the election.
((Donald Trump, Former US President))
((Slug to come at XX:XX))
"This is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in America."
((NARRATOR))
((Broll of Pence in AP Mike Pence))
But his own vice president – who could be a key witness in the upcoming trial – disagrees.
((Mike Pence, Former Vice President))
((AP Mike Pence-SOT 2))
“I want the American people to know that I had no right to overturn the election and that on that day, President Trump asked me to put him over the Constitution. But I chose the Constitution.”
((NARRATOR))
((Broll of Trump campaigning – deplaning))
Trump – who is the current front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination – is not under arrest and will undergo a trial in the upcoming months.
((Elaine Kamarck, Brookings Institution)) ((courtesy ZOOM))
((Elaine Kamarck Interview at 00:50))
“We're in sort of uncharted territory. He can certainly run right now under indictment, because he's not been proven guilty of anything. He's just been charged with crimes. And the way this will play out is we won't have a lot of these decisions till next year, possibly even after the election.”
((NARRATOR))
((Broll of Trump in NY and FL courts))
Trump also faces criminal charges in New York and Florida related to allegations of campaign fraud and mishandling of classified documents.
((Cheryl Bader, Fordham University, School of Law))
((Reuters Cheryl Bader-SOT 5))
“This in some ways is the most serious because it really goes to the heart of our democracy and how we count people's votes. But on the other hand, Trump is going to argue that he believed this to be true, that he believed that he won the election, and therefore that he was not defrauding the United States.”
((NARRATOR))
Outside the courthouse Thursday, the former president’s supporters said they still strongly support him.
((Dan, Trump Supporter))
"I really believe that he's defending the people and in return we're showing our support for him and using our freedom of speech."
((NARRATOR))
But for many Americans - just hundreds of yards from the Capitol that was attacked - the charges are a sign Trump is being held accountable.
((Patrick, Trump Protester))
"It's very important that this is all being documented officially, in writing, so that nothing happens like this in our country, because this was a breaking point."
((NARRATOR))
The trial date for the charges in the Washington federal court will be scheduled soon. Trump is set to go to trial in Florida next May.
((Katherine Gypson, VOA News, Washington
