Took place just blocks from the us Capitol Building, where the events of january 6 played out. The Special Prosecutor alleges in this indictment that the former president fuelled the attack by Sowing Distrust in the 2020 election. The charges mr trump is facing include conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, namely his attempt to stop the counting of the vote. Protests took place outside the District Court in washington, dc on thursday, as the former president faced the charges inside. Some were anti trump demonstrators, and some were his supporters, who waved the american flag. Before boaring his plane to travel back to newjersey, mr trump spoke briefly to reporters. He described the charges as the persecution of a political opponent. Thank you very much. This is a very sad day for america. And 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. Its a very sad thing to see it. When you look at whats happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in america. This is the persecution of the person thats leading by very, very substantial numbers in the republican primary and leading biden by a lot. So if you cant beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him. We cant let this happen in america. Thank you very much. Former President Trump has now landed back in newjersey. A hearing has been scheduled for the 28th of august. Thats when mr trump will be given a trial date, which is expected to be sometime next year. Lets begin with the scene in washington. Our colleague carl nasman is at the courthouse. Ais a is happened over the last few hours talk us through what has been happening. figs hours talk us through what has been happening. Been happening. As you mentioned been happening. As you mentioned where been happening. As you mentioned where we. Been happening. As you | mentioned where we are been happening. As you mentioned where we are right now it is only a few hundred feet from the Capitol Building itself which is of course where the events of the January The 6th took place and this courthouse behind me, this has seen dozens of other cases related to January The 6th so definitely a symbolic location for this Arraignment Hearing today. The former president , donald trump arriving into pleading not guilty to four criminal charges related to his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, leading up to the offence of January The 6th. According to reporters who were inside the courthouse, donald trump appeared calm as he was read at those charges by the Magistrate Judge and as he entered his plea, he was surrounded by his legal team and the Special Counsel himself, jack smith actually sat in the front row right there behind him. A fairly brief Arraignment Hearing only around 30 minutes and just as quickly as it began, donald trump was leaving back to his motorcade where he made his way to the airport and flew back to newjersey. Again, this was a historic day, we are seeing a former us president being arraigned on criminal charges, but every bit of this part of this agreement, the steps that we saw today, are beginning to feel a little bit more commonplace. We have seen does not take place for the third time, this being the third arraignment that the former President Donald Trump has faced. ,. ,. , faced. Just showing our viewers and aerial faced. Just showing our viewers and aerial shot faced. Just showing our viewers and aerial shot of faced. Just showing our viewers and aerial shot of mr faced. Just showing our viewers and aerial shot of mr trump and aerial shot of mr trump returning home after pleading not guilty to those for charges. Of course, this is the third indictment that the former president is facing and there is also a possible fourth indictment. Talk us through. Yes, this is the third indictment that he has faced now. We have just gotten another trial date set so August The 28th will be the next time that we see this case comes to court. This will be in front of thejudge comes to court. This will be in front of the judge who will be presiding, judge chutkan, this is that day we expect to hear at least a dietz where the trial may start. It may be next year, first noticed peschel Counseljack Smith has said he wants to see a speedy trial in this case and he will be pushing for that. On the other side the lawyers and of the legal team for the former president will be pushing to delay this trial. They want to see this go on as long as they can. They will push for any kind of pretrial motions the can to try and delay the proceedings. We also know that this will be joining a growing list of legal cases, legal appointments and dates for donald trump. Not to mention all the Different Campaign appearances and primaries beginning next year, it will be a very busy and very difficult roots to navigate for trump and his campaign. Of course, amongst all of this he still does remain the front runner for the republican nomination in 2024. , in 2024. Outside the courthouse, in 2024. Outside the courthouse, carl in 2024. Outside the courthouse, carl nasman. Lets bring in the legal analyst and former federal prosecutor david weinstein. Thank you forjoining us on the programme. As carl mentioned the trial will likely be next year but my first question to you is would it be possible for them to assemble an impartial jury them to assemble an impartial jury given how high profile mr trump is . Jury given how highprofile mr trump is . Jury given how highprofile mr trump is . That is the question that we will trump is . That is the question that we will all trump is . That is the question that we will all be trump is . That is the question that we will all be asking. Trump is . That is the question that we will all be asking. I that we will all be asking. I think that they will be able to do that. We have had this issue arise before with other high profile cases and i am convinced that there is not a person in the United States who has not heard of donald trump. And has not formed an opinion on him or about the prosecution. The question is, will they be able to put those preconceived notions aside and focus only on the evidence presented inside the courtroom and base their verdict on the evidence. Forthat and base their verdict on the evidence. For that we have to hold jurors at their word. If they tell us they can, then they tell us they can, then they move into the pool of 12 people who could be selected to sit on this jury. So those of the people we are looking for. People hook up their preconceived notions aside and focus on the evidence presented to them in the courtroom. figs to them in the courtroom. As carl mentioned, it seems like mr trump prospect defence strategy is to delay this as long as they can. But what is fascinating is that even if he was found guilty and if he won the election next year, he could hypothetically run the country. Talk us through the wall behind this. Country. Talk us through the wall behind this. What needs to ha en wall behind this. What needs to happen here wall behind this. What needs to happen here is wall behind this. What needs to happen here is not wall behind this. What needs to happen here is not only wall behind this. What needs to happen here is not only a happen here is not only a conviction, but one that is upheld under appeal and that conviction would be a disqualifying conviction for the individual who has been been elected to hold office. It is only at that point would he be disqualified. Depending on how long these cases take to go to trial and then worked there with the court of appeals, he could not be a confirmed, convicted felon before the election and in operation takes place. 0dd election and in operation takes place. Odd to set a fax that thatis place. Odd to set a fax that that is the way the constitution has been written. 0f Constitution has been written. Of course that is if he is found guilty. If he was reelected next year, could he possibly pardon himself . That is a question possibly pardon himself . That is a question being possibly pardon himself . Twat is a question being debated by constitutional scholars and lawyers like myself alike. There is no specific provision that says he cannot to that. There are certain provisions that arguably would say that you cannot. We did not see former president nixon pardon himself. He was pardoned by then Vice President ford who became president ford. He seemed president pardon other people but never before have we had a situation where a president might potentially be able to pardon himself. {lit able to pardon himself. Of course able to pardon himself. Of course he could possibly face in the third indictment of course the third indictment that he is currently facing but a fourth one is possible in georgia. Tell us about that. We saw shades georgia. Tell us about that. Saw shades of what that indictment might contained within this indictment itself. The talked about the election in georgia and the efforts that mr trump undertook to try and overturn the results that election. We heard Reference Inseam reference to the phone call that made so a state is a separate sovereign from the federal government. They are entitled to bring their own parallel proceeding and if a grand jury returns an indictment, then he will be in court for yet another arraignment on another indictment. That will take its place in the line of three cases as to when those cases will go to trial. Cases as to when those cases will go to trial. Meanwhile the former president will go to trial. Meanwhile the former president has will go to trial. Meanwhile the former president has been former president has been attacking thejudge and former president has been attacking the judge and the prosecutors personally, possibly putting them and their families in danger. How unusual is this . ,. , if is this . Quite unusual in most if not all cases, is this . Quite unusual in most if not all cases, the is this . Quite unusual in most if not all cases, the litigants l if not all cases, the litigants in the case, whether it is the prosecution, the defence or defendants themselves are very reluctant to say anything about the people who control the case or people who are prosecuting the case. That is not the way he acts and operates and at some point, if it continues and it escalates the level where there is a physical, personal safety risk for the prosecutors, judges, someone will ask thejudge to prosecutors, judges, someone will ask the judge to impose some sort of gag order on him and if he violates that he will be held in contempt. It is not something that a defendant ought to be doing, especially when you were talking at the person presiding over your case. , ~ person presiding over your case. , ~ ,. , person presiding over your case. ~. Person presiding over your case. , case. Thank you so much for oininr case. Thank you so much for joining us case. Thank you so much for joining us on case. Thank you so much for joining us on the case. Thank you so much for| joining us on the programme today. Im joined now by steve 0kun hes a us Political Analyst with mclarty associates. Thank you forjoining us on the programme. We have heard from a former Vice President mike pence Singh Mrtrump FormerVice President mike pence singh mr trump was listening to wrong legal advice but will have other republicans been saying about latest indictment and mr trump not guilty in . This indictment and mr trump not ruil in . � ,. , indictment and mr trump not ruil in . , indictment and mr trump not guilty in . Guilty in . As a whole they stand solidly guilty in . As a whole they stand solidly behind guilty in . As a whole they i stand solidly behind donald trump even with all of these allegations of literally treason against the United States of america. More than half of the republicans, 50 say they will support trump no matter what. We are down to 41 of republicans who said they he has done nothing wrong at all. That is with the Republican Party stands right now. It is the party of donald trump. In the party of donald trump. In the last until more republicans like mike pence come out against donald trump. He is going to be the nominee and potentially president again. We have a life page on the bbc website which has voices from voters and also trumps supporters obviously not really affecting their decision, but as a Political Analyst, based outside of the us, what has been the reaction to what has been the reaction to what has been happening there . Incredulous i think would be the right word. I get asked all of the time, why is it that people continue to support donald trump part of it is our system where a very small number of Republican Voters determine who their nominee is going to be. They are the most partisan of voters, they are the most passionate of the voters and they support donald trump no matter what. So the primaries are set up to support him and also he speaks to something that is meaningful to voters that they are being left behind, the country has seen better days, hes the only one who can protect them. The system is rigged against them and in all of these grievances, fuel into that. Without the republican establishment standing up to him which they have not done for the most part and when they do the get kicked out of the party, like someone like liz cheney, where they get booed off of the stage like will hurd whos running for president , than the republicans just dont do what they need to be doing so the battle in the courtroom is one thing, but the real battle is going to take place in the Republican Party. So far donald trump dominates that battle. For so far donald trump dominates that battle that battle. For the us allies in this part that battle. For the us allies in this part of that battle. For the us allies in this part of the that battle. For the us allies in this part of the world, that battle. For the us alliesj in this part of the world, like japan, south korea and so on, they rely on the stability of they rely on the stability of the United States they had to play a very tricky Balancing Act when mr trump left the white house and mr biden came to office. This kind of legal battles that are taking place, we have not really heard much from even the years have we . Asian leaders. We from even the years have we . Asian leaders. Asian leaders. We have not heard much asian leaders. We have not heard much but asian leaders. We have not heard much but they asian leaders. We have not heard much but they are i heard much but they are certainly watching it. The America First party, the principles on pond which donald trump government in his first term are going to be even more pronounced if you were to get a second term or if a second or another publican who would win who would be for America First. Sue would see much different policy under donald trump or an american first president then a second joe biden term. So that is certainly something all of the us partners and allies are looking at. How much can we rely on the United States, are we going to be able to count on the Us Engagement we have seen under the Biden Administration through the indo Pacific Economic framework. Is that all going to go away like tpp went away the minute trump entered, d3 of his first term. So it is something that is being studied and the more and more it looks like donald trump is going to be the nominee and as he pulls even with joe be the nominee and as he pulls even Withjoe Biden as he is doing now, it will certainly impact how the governments are going to be dealing with both the us, china and each other. Thank you so much forjoining us on the programme. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making the news. Five people have been arrested after greenpeace activists climbed on to the roof of rishi sunak� s home in north yorkshire. They were protesting against the prime ministers support for the granting of new licenses to drill for oil and gas in the north sea. Greenpeace said the campaigners had unfurled Oil Black Fabric on one side of the house. The judge in the trial of the nurse lucy letby has discharged one of the jurors. Miss letby denies murdering or attempting to kill 17 babies at the countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. Mrjustice goss said he was discharging the juror for good personal reasons. The remaining 11 jurors will continue their deliberations tomorrow. Homeware retailer wilko has warned that is heading towards administration. The business, well known for its affordable everyday items, employs 12,000 people and has around 400 Stores Across britain. It says its facing mounting cash pressures, and has taken the difficult decision to seek administrators as it tries to secure a rescue deal. Youre live with bbc news. In the uk, Interest Rates are now at their highest level in 15 years after the Bank Of England raised them once again for the 14th consecutive time. The cost of borrowing has risen to 5. 25 in a bid to bring down the continuing high leve