Trump Reacts After Arraignment: ‘This Is a Sad Day for America’

Former President Donald Trump called it a "sad day for America" on Aug. 3 as he spoke briefly to reporters shortly after entering a not guilty plea in federal court on charges he tried to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss.

Mr. Trump made the comments as he boarded his plane at Reagan National Airport outside Washington and headed back to his Bedminster estate in New Jersey.

Mr. Trump appeared before a magistrate judge in Washington’s federal courthouse two days after being indicted on four felony counts by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith.

Mr. Trump is accused of trying to subvert the will of voters and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory before Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters breached the U.S. Capitol.

Speaking on the tarmac, Mr. Trump criticized the criminal proceedings, calling them "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," Mr. Trump said.

The indictment charges Mr. Trump with four felony counts related to his efforts to dispute the results of the 2020 election, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. The charges could lead to a yearslong prison sentence in the event of a conviction.