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Donald Trump latest: Former president says 'very sad day for America' after appearing 'emotionless' in court

The former president is facing his most serious charges so far in what marks the third criminal case brought against him in the past six months.

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We're wrapping up our coverage of what has been a momentous day in Washington, as Donald Trump appeared in court over his most serious criminal charges yet. 

Again, no current or former president had ever been criminally charged before. President Trump has now been indicted three times in four months.

Here's a recap of what's happened today:

  • Trump pleaded not guilty to all four charges against him - the most serious of which is conspiracy to defraud the United States;
  • We learned that if Trump is convicted on all four counts, he could spend up to 55 years in prison;
  • After leaving court, Trump called it "a very sad day for America". He labelled the indictment a "persecution of a political opponent. This is not what is supposed to happen in America";
  • The Trump 2024 presidential campaign has already started appealing for funds off the back of today's events;
  • And we know the next hearing will be on 28 August. That's five days after the first scheduled Republican primary debate.

We'll leave you with this picture of the former president's private plane - Trump Force One - flying past the Washington Monument on his descent to the capital earlier on.

Trump's day trip to court could work in his favour

Donald Trump is now back at home in Bedminster in New Jersey - we've seen him arrive back in the last half-hour.

Our US correspondent James Matthews has given his analysis of what a whirlwind visit to Washington could mean for the former president.

"It was a day trip to court. He left mid-morning for his 4pm (ET) appearance. 

"And there's every chance it will work in his favour.

"That's certainly the way we have seen his campaign and his journeys through assorted courtrooms resonate with his core support.

"Every time he's indicted, he enjoys a spike in fundraising and in the opinion polls.

"You heard in his statement earlier channelling this whole situation into the political arena, talking about a political persecution, characterising himself as a victim. 

"He says to the Trump base: 'I'm doing this for you.' He's trying to weld his political support to them, to improve his political chances at the next election. 

"His chances on the legal front are perhaps best served by the presidential campaign.

"That's Donald Trump's game plan: to intertwine the politics with the alleged criminality. And he has an audience for that argument."

Trump campaign asks for funds - 80 mins after leaving court

The Trump 2024 campaign has sent out a fundraising email, barely more than an hour after the former president left the Washington courthouse.

Addressing the email to "friends", he says he's writing on his way back from "the belly of the beast", where he was arraigned "as an innocent man".

The email continues: "Our country is in a very dark place right now, but I know that we will weather this storm and America will emerge stronger and greater than ever before. 

"As I face the threat of 561 years in prison for a crime I did not commit, you may be wondering how I could be so confident right now.

"The answer is YOU," he writes.

It's not quite clear how Trump calculated that figure of 561 years in prison - but it goes without saying that anything close to that would only happen if the sentence for every single charge he faces in his three indictments is the maximum possible time in prison.

He also thanks supporters for sending in donations to fund his 2024 campaign. 

"You are why I could never give up our mission to save America - no matter how nasty and vicious the attacks ever got," he adds.

"I always knew this was the price I had to pay to run for president as a political outsider and restore power to YOU, the American people...

"But AMERICA is always worth it!"

Trump lands in New Jersey

Trump Force One has now completed its short 35-minute journey from Washington, and is now back in New Jersey. 

A motorcade is now escorting the former president to the town of Bedminister, where he has a home that doubles as a golf course.

How are Republicans reacting?

Donald Trump still has strong support among the Republican party, and polling suggests he remains the clear frontrunner for the presidential nomination despite his triple indictment.

We haven't yet heard from two senior Republican figures: senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, and senate minority whip John Thune.

Nothing from Donald Trump's main rival for the Republican nomination, Florida governor Ron DeSantis. But another rival has weighed in. 

Nikki Haley served as UN ambassador for most of Trump's presidency, and enjoyed relatively good relations while he was in the White House. 

She's running against Trump, but urged the country to move on from his indictments.

"Like most Americans, I'm tired of commenting on every Trump drama," she said in a radio interview.

"I've lost track of whether this indictment is the third or fourth or fifth.

Ms Haley said that while Trump "bears some responsibility for what happened" on January 6, "it鈥檚 not a crime to say you think an election was stolen. He should not be prosecuted for that."

Texas senator Ted Cruz ran against Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012. To say he's had a complicated relationship with President Trump is an understatement. 

He's previously called Trump a "snivelling coward" and "utterly amoral". 

But he's given Trump his backing on Twitter earlier today, subtly accusing the US justice department of being the "legal arm" of the Democratic party.

"This isn't impartiality; it's partisanship," he wrote.

Former Florida governor Rick Scott is running for reelection to the US Senate next year. He has tweeted a graphic from Fox News, comparing dates in the Hunter Biden investigation with the dates Trump has been indicted.

鈥淓very time we learn more about potential Biden family corruption, Joe Biden's DOJ [department of justice] indicts his top political opponent," he tweeted.

One of Trump's most steadfast defenders in Washington is Elise Stefanik from the state of New York.

While Trump was in the courtroom, she said: "The American people are smart, and they know this is a politically charged witch hunt orchestrated by Joe Biden鈥檚 corrupt DOJ.

"The unconstitutional and unprecedented arrest of President Donald J. Trump is truly a chilling chapter in Joe Biden's weaponization of the Department of Justice against his leading political opponent."

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is another core Trump ally, widely accused of peddling conspiracy theories. 

As Trump made his way back to the airport, she said what she calls the "Deep State" is after the former president.

"Joe Biden and his DOJ are conducting the most corrupt election interference campaign we鈥檝e ever seen," she said.

Court artist's sketch released

As we've been saying, cameras are not allowed inside federal courtrooms in the US.

That means sketches are our only look inside what happened in Washington today.

Our colleagues at NBC News were some of the few reporters allowed inside the courtroom, and described Trump's demeanour as "very matter of fact, not angry or upset, just emotionless" at times during his hearing. 

Trump's liberty might be on the ballot next year, says former Republican congressman

We've been getting some reaction to tonight's events from David Jolly, who served as a representative for Florida between 2014 and 2017. He quit the Republican party in 2018, during Donald Trump's presidency.

Mr Jolly told Sky News the former president's three charges pose grave challenges to the democratic process.

"As a candidate, he's standing on the message that he's been falsely accused and charged, and he's asking fellow Republicans and voters to essentially vote to absolve him of these charges," he says.

"It raises a number of constitutional challenges, but also cultural and political challenges for our country, which is about to go through an election where Donald Trump's very liberty might be on the ballot, more so than just a contest between the former president and our incumbent Joe Biden."

Mr Jolly adds that with Trump facing three simultaneous criminal hearings, timing is everything.

"I am not in the camp that thinks he would be convicted and sentenced before the election," he says.

He thinks the Trump camp will try to delay proceedings as much as possible, until after the Republicans pick their candidate in March.

"Donald Trump will likely become the Republican nominee before a trial begins. 

"If a trial begins next summer, perhaps he's acquitted, perhaps he's convicted. But the likely sentence will not put him in prison before the election.

"But that doesn't matter. The essential question before the American people is: are you willing to give Donald Trump the presidency, to test the limits of the constitution where he will try to pardon himself? Or do you wish the criminal justice system to remain intact and let that determine Donald Trump's fate?

"We have never faced that moment in our nation, and it's a turning point that we're still reconciling with."

What next for a man in serious legal trouble?

Trump Force One is now back in skies, having left Reagan International Airport in the last few moments.

Today's events have forced him away from the comfort of his New Jersey home and pulled him away from his campaigning for next year's election.

But our US correspondent Martha Kelner says it'll be business as usual for Trump for the rest of the week.

"Tomorrow, he'll head to Montgomery, Alabama, where he's a keynote speaker at a Republican party dinner.

"On Saturday, he'll travel to South Carolina, where he's speaking at a gala alongside the South Carolina senator Lindsay Graham.

"I think there is the danger with this case of having a little bit of indictment fatigue - this is the third case in four months where he's been charged.

"There's a danger of obscuring the seriousness of the charges involved in this case. 

"There was that 27-minute hearing today, during which the magistrate judge read out those four charges against Donald Trump.

"We are really entering unprecedented times both legally and politically, because there's also scheduling issues with these various court cases going forward.

"Donald Trump is protesting his innocence - but he's clearly in serious legal peril."

Watch Donald Trump's statement in full

As we just reported, Donald Trump has made a statement on the tarmac as he was about to board Trump Force One. 

Watch it back here... 

Trump speaks: 'This is persecution of a political opponent'

Donald Trump has just given a very short statement by his plane in Washington.

"This is a very sad day for America," he says. 

"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.

"If you look at what's happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent. This is not what is supposed to happen in America.

"This is the persecution of the person who is leading by very substantial numbers in the republican primary and leading Biden by a lot.

"So if you can't beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him. You can't let this happen in America."

And with that, he turns his back to reporters and boards Trump Force One.