Law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., are prepping for former President Donald Trump's second federal arraignment hearing on Thursday.
Trump has been summoned to appear in person at the Elijah Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse at 4 p.m. EST for his first court hearing in the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Federal prosecutors charged the former president on Tuesday with four counts related to efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss.
The Secret Service has indicated that it is partnering with D.C. police and Capitol Police in preparation for Trump's hearing. In a statement Wednesday, Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said that the unit intends to "ensure the highest levels of safety and security for the former president, while minimizing disruptions to the normal court process."
"While the Secret Service does not comment on specific protective means or methods, we have the utmost confidence in the dedication and commitment to security shared by all of our law enforcement and government partners," Guglielmi said in the statement shared to "X," the platform previously known as Twitter.
Thursday's hearing will take place before Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhaya, who will read the charges aloud to Trump and his attorneys. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an Obama appointee, has already been randomly assigned the case following Trump's initial court appearance.
It's likely that camera and audio recording equipment will not be permitted inside the courtroom during the hearing, as is typical with federal criminal proceedings. Cameras were also barred from Trump's arraignment in Miami, Florida, earlier this summer, but were briefly allowed before his initial hearing in New York City court in April.
Like his previous two arraignments, Trump is expected to enter a not-guilty plea on Thursday. The former president has maintained his innocence in the allegations against him and said that the latest charges from the DOJ are an attempt to interfere with his 2024 reelection bid.
Prosecutors allege that Trump and his allies attempted to interfere with the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6, 2021, and "exploited" the violence that ensued at the U.S. Capitol while the proceedings took place.
"President Trump has always followed the law and the Constitution, with advice from many highly accomplished attorneys," the former president's campaign team said in a statement Tuesday night. "These un-American witch hunts will fail and President Trump will be re-elected to the White House so he can save our Country from the abuse, incompetence, and corruption that is running through the veins of our Country at levels never seen before."
Trump had called for his supporters to protest in light of his indictment filed in New York City court in late March on charges related to business fraud, although the rallies were much smaller than anticipated.
NBC News reported that several news organizations had begun to gather outside of the Washington courthouse almost a full day before Trump's arraignment proceedings. As of 5 p.m. EST Wednesday, the line consisted of about 50 people and was continuing to grow.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign team Wednesday night via email for comment ahead of his arraignment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
