List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

A 17-year-old who police believe fatally stabbed a man dancing outside a gas station in Brooklyn has reportedly turned himself in to authorities. The teenager is now in police custody, according to CNN. Police believe the teen stabbed O'Shae Sibley, a man who was dancing and posing to a Beyonce song at a gas station with his friends on the day of the attack. A large group of men reportedly approached Mr Sibley and his friends and began hurling homophobic slurs at them. The slurs and harassment eventually caused a confrontation, according to an NYPD spokesperson. Otis Pena, a witness, told police one of the men stabbed his friend, Mr Sibley, in the torso. He died in the hospital. Police are investigating whether or not the fatal stabbing was a hate crime.

A Colombian judge on Friday night ordered President Gustavo Petro’s son freed from detention while he is investigated on allegations of illicit enrichment and money laundering. Nicolás Petro was arrested early Saturday, and this week was charged with the two crimes. He agreed to cooperate in the probe, and prosecutors said he acknowledged Thursday that his father’s 2022 election campaign received money of dubious origin. Mario Andrés Burgos, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said Nicolás Petro assured that he would deliver audios and documents to corroborate that part of the money given to him ended up financing his father’s candidacy. The Attorney General’s Office presented evidence that it said shows the younger Petro received money illicitly. But the judge said prosecutors did not substantiate the need to keep the president's son in detention or under house arrest. He was ordered released under the condition that he not leave Colombia or participate in political activities. Nicolás Petro is a legislator for the northern coastal region of Atlántico, but has said he will resign the seat. Burgos has said the younger Petro revealed that unjustified increases detected in his assets came from two individuals being questioned by Colombian authorities. The money went partly into the son's own accounts and partly into the campaign that made his father Colombia's first elected leftist president, the prosecutor said. On Tuesday, when he was charged, prosecutors said the younger Petro took thousands of dollars from drug traffickers and used it to buy luxurious homes and expensive cars. Nicolás Petro, 36, pleaded innocent to the charges, but agreed to cooperate with authorities. The case has come at a time when Colombia’s president is losing popularity and has been exposed to attacks by opposition parties, which have become increasingly reluctant to cooperate with his legislative agenda. The president has said he would not interfere with the investigation, and wrote a message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in which he said he hoped his son would “reflect on his mistakes.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

Donald Trump was equal turns defiant and self-pitying in his first major public event since being indicted earlier this week on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election and deprive voters of their civil rights in the process, claiming the charges against him were illegitimate but would help his campaign. “It’s not going to make any impact. Every time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls,” Mr Trump said Friday at the Alabama Republican Party’s 2023 summer meeting in Montgomery. “We need one more indictment and this election is closed out, nobody has even a chance,” he added. At the same time, Mr Trump hammered the special counsel overseeing the case, accusing “deranged Jack Smith” of pursuing “an outrageous criminalisation of political speech.” “It’s not fair and it’s probably not legal what they’re doing,” Mr Trump argued. “They want to interfere in my campaign.” Prosecutors allege that Mr Trump and a group of co-conspirators knew they had lost the 2020 election, but tried to manipulate the process and be declared the winners anyway, infringing on US voter rights in the process. “The only civil rights that have been violated in this manner are my civil rights,” Mr Trump said at the event. Even though Donald Trump faces increasing legal jeopardy – two federal indictments, plus another major case from the Manhattan district attorney and a looming potential indictment in Georgia over election meddling – his campaign for the White House looks relatively unimpacted even as Mr Trump could be the first former president to be imprisoned. According to a New York Times poll on Thursday, Donald Trump and Joe Biden are at a dead heat when it comes to support from registered voters, each maintaining 43 per cent. Within the Republican field, Mr Trump has a comfortable lead over his opponents, even as rivals like Mike Pence have seized on the recent indictment to criticise the former president. A recent poll found that Donald Trump is still comfortably leading the pack of GOP hopefuls ahead of 2024, with 54 per cent support compared to his nearest rival, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who only had 17 per cent. Read More Moment Trump’s own lawyer ‘admits’ to indictment charge live on TV Ron DeSantis says Trump’s claims of stolen 2020 election weren’t ‘true’ Trump strikes threatening tone after arraignment: ‘ IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!’ Texas man who threatened poll workers and Arizona officials is sentenced to 3 1/2 years Trump strikes threatening tone: ‘ IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!’ Giuliani must clarify his ‘puzzling’ court filing in Georgia defamation case

Former president Donald Trump lashed out at authorities on Friday afternoon, a day after his arraignment on four charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. On Thursday, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. At times, Mr Trump appeared to stumble over his words during his appearance at the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse. During his arraignment on Thursday, Mr Trump was ordered to refrain from discussing the case with any witnesses without the presence of legal counsel. The former president’s bellicose rhetoric could create additional legal headaches for him. On Friday, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to new charges to the new 40-count superseding indictment against him for a separate case against him in South Florida. Prosecutors alleged that Mr Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta conspired with Mar-a-Lago worker Carlos De Oliveira to have footage from the club deleted to prevent it from going to a grand jury. But Mr Trump appeared to display no contrition on Friday afternoon in an all-caps post on Truth Social. “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” the former president said. Prosecutors also charged Mr Trump with specifically possessing a classified document that he allegedly showed to people at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Mr Trump’s campaign denounced the indictment, calling it “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him.” -Andrew Feinberg contributed reporting Read More Trump pleads not guilty to new charges in Mar-a-Lago documents case Trump pleads not guilty twice in 24 hours in 2020 election case and to more classified docs charges - live Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that former president Donald Trump exuded no bravado or confidence as he appeared in Washington DC for his arraignment on federal charges this week. Ms Pelosi led the House of Representatives during both of Mr Trump’s impeachments, first for his attempt to condition aid to Ukraine on newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky investigating Joe Biden’s son Hunter, and then in 2021 for his actions during the January 6 insurrection. Mr Trump appeared at the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to four charges stemming from his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. During his arraignment, Mr Trump appeared to stumble over his words when asked to state his full name and appeared rather sombre compared to his other arraignments in New York and Miami. Ms Pelosi, who stepped aside from Democratic House leadership earlier this year after Republicans won the majority in the House of Representatives, told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that Mr Trump lacked the confidence and bravado usually associated with the ex-president. “I wasn’t in the courtroom, of course, but when I saw Trump coming out of his car and this or that, I saw a scared puppy,” Ms Pelosi said on Friday. “He looked very, very, very concerned about the fate. I didn't see any bravado or confidence or anything like that. He knows the truth, that he lost the election and now he has to face the music.” Ms Pelosi has largely avoided discussing the former president since he left office. During her farewell address as House speaker, she mentioned her work with former presidents George W Bush, a Republican, and Barack Obama, a Democrat, as well as President Joe Biden. But she did not mention Mr Trump. When the indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, Ms Pelosi credited the work of the January 6 select committee that commenced under her speakership for leading to the indictment. “Now, following the Justice Department’s further investigation, a federal grand jury has indicted the former President,” she said. “As this case proceeds through the courts, justice must be done according to the facts and the law.” Read More Trump pleads not guilty to federal conspiracy charges in plot to overturn 2020 election Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment

The players union for NBA criticised the owners of the Orlando Magic for giving money to a super PAC that supports Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid. A Federal Election Commission filing showed that Orlando Magic LTD donated $50,000 to Never Back Down, a super PAC that supports Mr DeSantis’s presidential bid. Campaigns cannot officially coordinate with campaigns, but Mr DeSantis has frequently blurred the lines with Never Back Down, frequently appearing as a special guest. A statement from the National Basketball Players Association said the contribution does not reflect player support for Mr DeSantis. “A political contribution from the Orlando Magic is alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary,” a statement said. “NBA governors, players and personnel have the right to express their personal political views, including through donations and statements. However, if contributions are made on behalf of an entire team, using money earned through the labor of its employees, it is incumbent upon the team governors to consider the diverse values and perspectives of staff and players.” The DeVos family owns the Orlando Magic, NBC News reported. Richard DeVos, the former chairman, died in 2018 and his daughter-in-law Betsy DeVos led the Department of Education during the Trump administration. Mr DeSantis has frequently criticised politics he considers “woke,” a term previously used among Black Americans to tell one another to be aware of racism. But a vast majority of NBA players are Black, despite the fact many owners are white, and support efforts like Black Lives Matter. Last year, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the NBA and WNBA said in a joint statement that they “believe that women should be able to make their own decisions concerning their health and future. Commissioner Adam Silver said that he would ensure women “have access to reproductive health care, regardless of their location.” Read More Ron DeSantis says Trump’s claims of stolen 2020 election weren’t ‘true’ It has been a good week for democracy - in more ways than one Chris Christie tells Volodymyr Zelensky he wants to be America’s ‘eyes’ in surprise Kyiv visit

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday after being arrested and arraigned for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election, the latest in his third – and potentially most serious – criminal case. The former president was indicted Monday on four charges as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the alleged conspiracy and the 6 January Capitol riot. The indictment also described six unnamed co-conspirators, though observers have credibly guessed most of their identities. The former president has railed against the indictment, calling for the “fake” case to be moved out of Washington DC where he claims it is “IMPOSSIBLE to get a fair trial”. The case has been assigned to US district judge Tanya Chutkan, a Barack Obama appointee. The next hearing is scheduled for 28 August. Read Trump’s full indictment from the January 6 grand jury Read More Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment Will Donald Trump go to prison? Trump was told not to talk to witnesses in 2020 election conspiracy case. That could be a challenge. What is an arraignment? Here’s what to expect following Trump’s indictment

Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said on Friday that Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged are not true. “All those theories that were put out did not prove to be true,” Mr DeSantis told The New York Times during a campaign stop in Iowa. “It was not an election that was conducted the way I think that we want to, but that’s different than saying Maduro stole votes or something like that,” he added. “Those theories, you know, proved to be unsubstantiated.” Mr DeSantis, seen as the former president’s chief rival in the Republican primary, has in the past largely avoided direct criticisms of Mr Trump’s repeatedly disproven election claims. “We must reject the culture of losing that has impacted our party in recent years. The time for excuses is over,” Mr DeSantis said in a speech earlier this yer, before he formally announced his presidential campaign. “If we get distracted, if we focus the election on the past or on other side issues, then I think the Democrats are going to beat us again.” The former president’s repeated falsehoods are back in the spotlight, after Mr Trump was indicted this week for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the presidential election results. “The attack on our nation’s capitol on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,” special counsel Jack Smith said on Tuesday, announcing the charges. “As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the US government – the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information. Read More College Board shelves AP psychology class in Florida over guidance on gender content Chris Christie meets Volodymyr Zelensky in surprise Ukraine visit NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

The Gilgo Beach murders victim previously known only as Jane Doe 7 has finally been identified more than 26 years after her partial remains were first discovered along the Long Island shores. In a press conference on Friday, Long Island officials announced that they had identified the victim as Karen Vergata. Vergata, a 34-year-old woman, was last seen alive in Manhattan in 1996 while working as an escort. Police refused to take any questions and would not comment on whether or not she is linked to serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann. This comes as prosecutors have asked the court to obtain a swab of DNA from Mr Heuermanna and as his wife broke her silence in her first interview since his shock arrest to reveal she is filled with “anxiety” and their two children “cry themselves to sleep” every night over the horror case. Mr Heuermann, 59, was arrested on 13 July and charged with the murders of Amber Castello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy. He is also the main suspect in Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ killing. The women all went missing in 2009 and 2010 before their remains were found along Gilgo Beach. Read More Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect’s contact with wife revealed Daughter of Happy Face Killer launches GoFundMe for Gilgo Beach murders suspect’s wife Rex Heuermann’s defence buried in mountain of evidence as he faces court in Gilgo Beach murders case

Donald Trump couldn’t seem to decide whether he had a “good day” or a “sad day” as he was arrested and arraigned on four criminal charges over his attempts to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. The former president appeared in court in Washington DC on Thursday afternoon, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges in what now marks his third criminal case. Following the arraignment, he returned to his Bedminster estate and took to Truth Social where, he claimed – in a full-caps late-night rant – that he had a “very good day”. “CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT I HAD TO FLY TO A FILTHY, DIRTY, FALLING APART, & VERY UNSAFE WASHINGTON, D.C., TODAY, & THAT I WAS THEN ARRESTED BY MY POLITICAL OPPONENT, WHO IS LOSING BADLY TO ME IN THE POLLS, CROOKED JOE BIDEN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD DAY!” he wrote on Truth Social. However, this positive outlook appears to jar with the mood he displayed on the tarmac as he jetted out of DC on his private plane – not to mention the mood sources said he displayed behind the scenes. “This is a very sad day for America,” Mr Trump told reporters as he embarked Trump Force One to head back to his Bedminster club. “It was also very sad driving through Washington DC and seeing the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti. “This is not the place that I left. It’s a very sad thing to see it.” His comments on Washington DC’s apparent deterioration came after Mr Trump left the capital in January 2021 as it was reeling from the January 6 Capitol riots – an attack which came out of the false claims he spread of 2020 election fraud. Meanwhile, sources behind the scenes of Thursday’s hearing revealed a somewhat “dejected” mood. The former president was said to be “irked” that US District Judge Moxila Upadhyaya had referred to him as “Mr Trump” and not “Mr President” during his court appearance. “I’m learning tonight that Trump left here in a sour and dejected mood,” said CNN host Kaitlan Collins. “He was, quote, ‘pissed off,’ according to someone who spoke to him.” She added: “I am told that the former president, one thing that irked him particularly, was during that hearing today that lasted about 27 minutes, was when the magistrate judge referred to him as simply ‘Mr Trump.’” Mr Trump’s alleged annoyance comes as the staff at his Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster estates typically still refer to him as “President Trump” – despite leaving the White House over two years ago. “That may not sound odd to anyone else, but he is still referred to by his former title ‘President Trump’ when he’s at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, as he is tonight, or at Mar-a-Lago,” revealed Ms Collins. Instead of being waited on by his staff and called “Mr President”, Mr Trump was forced to endure a court appearance similar to that of many criminal defendants. He had to wait around 15 minutes for the judge to arrive and came face to face with prosecutors pursuing charges against him – at one point having something of a stare off with special counsel Jack Smith in the courtroom. However, in other ways his treatment was different – as he did not have his mugshot taken and was not placed in handcuffs. Mr Trump surrendered to authorities and was arrested on four federal charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. He then appeared for his arraignment at the E Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse where he stared down special counsel Jack Smith before pleading not guilty to all charges. The former president is accused of conspiring with his allies to overturn the 2020 election, in a bid to sabotage the vote of the American people. A grand jury, which has spent months hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, returned a federal indictment on Tuesday hitting him with four federal charges. The Justice Department alleges that Mr Trump and his circle of co-conspirators knew that he had lost the election but launched a multi-prong conspiracy to do everything they could to enable him to cling to power. This included spreading “knowingly false claims of election fraud to get state legislators and election officials to subvert the legitimate election results and change electoral votes for the Defendant’s opponent, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to electoral votes for the Defendant”, the indictment states. Mr Trump and his allies also allegedly plotted to send slates of fake electors to seven “targeted states” of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin which President Joe Biden had won – to get them to falsely certify the election for Mr Trump. The indictment also alleges Mr Trump tried to use the DOJ to “conduct sham election crime investigations”, sending letters to the seven states claiming that “significant concerns” had been found in the elections in those states. As well as the false claims about the election being stolen from Mr Trump, the scheme also involved pushing false claims that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to alter the results – and pushing Mr Pence to “fraudulently alter the election results”. When Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in a violent attack that ended with five deaths, Mr Trump and his co-conspirators “exploited” the incident by “redoubling efforts to levy false claims of election fraud and convince Members of Congress to further delay the certification based on those claims,” the indictment claims. At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Smith placed the blame for the January 6 attack on the US Capitol firmly on Mr Trump’s shoulders. “The attack on our nation’s capitol on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,” he said. “As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the US government – the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” The indictment marks Mr Trump’s second federal indictment, his third criminal indictment overall – and potentially his most serious. While the former president is the only person charged in the case, the indictment also refers to six co-conspirators who worked with him to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The six individuals – four attorneys, one Justice Department official and one political consultant – have not been named in the charging documents because they have not yet been charged with any crimes. However, based on the details in the indictment and records already known about the events leading up to the Capitol riot, the identities are apparent as Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Kenneth Chesebro and Boris Epshteyn. This marks Mr Trump’s third indictment after he was hit with New York state charges following an investigation into hush money payments made prior to the 2016 election and then separate federal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified documents on leaving office. He has pleaded not guilty in both of those charges as well. Read More Live updates: Trump pleads not guilty at arraignment in 2020 election case Meet Jack Smith: The special prosecutor who could take down Trump Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment Watch: Donald Trump’s motorcade blocked by herd of goats Chairman of UK Republican group wishes Donald Trump would not run for president Will Trump’s alleged co-conspirators in the Jan 6 indictment turn on him?

Bryan Kohberger has finally offered up a vague alibi for his movements on the night that he is accused of brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death in their beds. The 28-year-old criminal justice PhD student claims that he was out on a solo drive throughout the night of 12 November and into the early hours of 13 November – but admits that there are no witnesses to back up his version of events. “Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone. Often he would go for drives at night,” his attorney Anne Taylor wrote in a new court filing. “He did so late on November 12 and into November 13, 2022. Mr. Kohberger is not claiming to be at a specific location at a specific time; at this time there is not a specific witness to say precisely where Mr. Kohberger was at each moment of the hours between late night November 12, 2022 and early morning November 13, 2022. “He was out, driving during the late night and early morning hours of November 12-13, 2022.” The claims about Mr Kohberger’s unusual nighttime habits – and his whereabouts on the night of the murders – come after prosecutors demanded that his legal team reveal his alibi ahead of his October trial. Under Idaho law, defendants have 10 days to provide a written statement about where they claim to have been at the time of the alleged crime and offering information about any witnesses who can support their claim. On 23 May – one day after he was arraigned on four murder charges – Latah County Prosecutor’s Office put in a demand for Mr Kohberger’s notice of alibi. Back then, Mr Kohberger’s legal team asked Judge John Judge for an extension, saying that they needed more time due to the wealth of evidence in the high-profile case, and the deadline was extended to 24 July. But the deadline came and went, with Mr Kohberger’s legal team hinting that he has evidence placing him in another location at the time of the murders – but stopping short of revealing where and instead saying it may come to light at trial. The prosecution subsequently filed a motion seeking to compel an alibi. While Mr Kohberger’s attorney said that there is no specific witness to say where he was throughout the time of the murders, she wrote in the new filing that she anticipates “corroborating witnesses” will back up his explanation at trial. Mr Kohberger is facing the death penalty over the brutal 13 November murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. He is due to stand trial on 2 October after being indicted by a grand jury on four counts of first-degree murder and one burglary charge. His explanation that he was out on a solo drive that night comes as prosecutors tied him to the murders, in part, through surveillance footage showing his white Hyundai Elantra travelling to and from the crime scene. The affidavit, released in January, outlined some of the evidence against the accused killer – including his DNA on a knife sheath left behind at the scene of the murders, the surveillance footage and cellphone activity. The sheath – for a military or Ka-Bar style knife – was found partly under Mogen’s body after she and Goncalves were found stabbed multiple times on Mogen’s bed on the third floor of the home. DNA on the button clasp of the sheath was then found to match that of the 28-year-old accused killer. Mr Kohberger’s attorneys have sought to cast doubts on the strength of this DNA evidence, in particular the use of genetic genealogy. According to the affidavit in the case, the FBI used genetic genealogy databases to try to identify the DNA source. Trash was then collected from the suspect’s parents’ home in the Poconos Mountains and a familial match – from Mr Kohberger’s father – was made to the sheath, according to the criminal affidavit. Following Mr Kohberger’s arrest on 30 December, DNA samples were then taken directly from the suspect and came back as “a statistical match”, say prosecutors. Mr Kohberger is accused of breaking into an off-campus student home on King Road in the early hours of 13 November and stabbing the four students to death with a large, military-style knife. Two other female roommates lived with the three women at the property and were home at the time of the massacre but survived. One of the survivors – Dylan Mortensen – came face to face with the masked killer, dressed in head-to-toe black and with bushy eyebrows, as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders, according to the criminal affidavit. For more than six weeks, the college town of Moscow was plunged into fear as the accused killer remained at large with no arrests made and no suspects named. Then, on 30 December, law enforcement suddenly swooped on Mr Kohberger’s family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania and arrested him for the quadruple murders. The motive remains unknown and it is still unclear what connection the WSU PhD student had to the University of Idaho students – if any – prior to the murders. The murder weapon – a fixed-blade knife – has still never been found. As a criminal justice PhD student at WSU, Mr Kohberger lived just 15 minutes from the victims over the Idaho-Washington border in Pullman. He had moved there from Pennsylvania and began his studies there that summer, having just completed his first semester before his arrest. Before this, he studied criminology at DeSales University – first as an undergraduate and then finishing his graduate studies in June 2022. While there, he studied under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland who interviewed the BTK serial killer and co-wrote the book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer with him. He also carried out a research project “to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime”. Read More Bryan Kohberger claims DNA may have been planted at Idaho murders scene – as alibi deadline looms Bryan Kohberger defence hints at alibi in Idaho murders - but won’t reveal what it is as deadline passes Bryan Kohberger could face the firing squad for the Idaho murders. What would this mean?

Before departing from Washington DC after being arraigned on four federal charges, former president Donald Trump gave quick remarks in which he claimed the capitol had “filth”, “decay” and “broken buildings”. Mr Trump made a quick appearance at the nation’s capital on Thursday so he could appear in federal court to be formally charged with four counts related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and subsequent January 6 attack on the Capitol. “This is a very sad day for America,” Mr Trump told reporters before departing on his private plane to New Jersey. The ex-president has continuously claimed he is innocent and that the indictment, brought forth by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, is a politically-motivated action. But unlike his previous post-arraignment speeches, Mr Trump chose to direct most of his statement toward Washington DC’s environment. “It was also very sad driving through Washington DC and seeing the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti,” Mr Trump said. “This is not the place that I left. It’s a very sad thing to see it.” Mr Trump spent approximately two hours in Washington DC, most of which was spent inside the E Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse. The ex-president pleaded not guilty to the four counts he was indicted on; conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy against rights and obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct, an official proceeding. The charges stem from Mr Smith’s probe into Mr Trump’s rhetoric in the days leading up to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, including Mr Trump’s false claims of election fraud. The most recent indictment alleges that Mr Trump knowingly spread lies that there was election fraud in 2020 and he actually won. “These claims were false, and the Defendant knew that they were false. But the Defendant repeated and widely disseminated them anyway – to make his knowingly false claims appear more legitimate, crate an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger, and erode public faith in the administration of the election,” the indictment reads. Despite the serious allegations, Mr Trump’s post-arraignment speech made little mention of the implications he is facing. “When you look at what’s happening 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, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot so if you can’t beat them you persecute them or prosecute ‘em,” Mr Trump said before departing on his plane. Read More Live updates: Trump pleads not guilty at arraignment in 2020 election case What is an arraignment? Here’s what to expect following Trump’s indictment Trump pleads not guilty to federal conspiracy charges in plot to overturn 2020 election Trump rails against ‘filth’ in DC after arraignment on election conspiracy charges Trump ‘irked’ that arraignment judge didn’t call him ‘Mr President’ Former Trump spokesperson sheds light on Melania’s absence from his arraignment