Amid “lock him up chants” and others interjecting with cries of “Trump for president” from the crowd gathered outside a Washington Court, Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges of plotting to overturn 2020 election.

Speaking after his brief appearance, the former president calls this a “very sad day for America.”

“This is a persecution of a political opponent, this was never supposed to happen in America, this is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot so if you can’t beat ’em, you persecute ’em or you prosecute ’em.”

The next hearing in Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy case goes August 28th, just days after the first debate in the 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.

The Judge is willing to waive Trump’s appearance at the hearing so he doesn’t have to attend when a trial date is expected to be set.