Jersey. Multiple victims tonight. First this evening, security tight as former President Trump arrived at reagan airport, returning to washington to face federal criminal charges. Accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election, even though the Special Counsel says trump knew he lost. Special counsel jack smith in the courtroom. The scene in court. What the former president said. The judge reading the maximum Prison Sentences for each charge. Trump pleading not guilty, and what he said before boarding his plane. Pierre thomas and our Team Standing by with late reporting. Also tonight, two u. S. Navy sailors under arrest. What theyre accused of doing to help china. One facing an espionage charge, which could carry a life sentence. At the texas border tonight, Authorities Say two bolds have been found near the controversial texas buoys. One had to be removed from the barrier. Mexico calling the barrier unhuman. Our team is there. And in New York City, the mayor pleading for help with migrants sleeping on sidewalks. A massive explosion rocking a new jersey neighborhood. Multiple victims tonight. One home leveled. Several others damaged by the blast and fire. The move by saudi arabia tonig tonight. News tonight of heatrelated deaths, including a couple marking their 52nd anniversary, as the deadly heat wave expands. Muf multiple states. 65 million under alerts tonight. In New York City, a train derails. Also, the delta jet making a hard landing. And america strong tonight. Traveling the entire country on the train. Good evening and its great to have you with us here on a thursday night. We do begin tonight with this historic proceeding in washington, d. C. Today. Former President Trump returning to washington to face federal criminal charges brought by the Special Counsel. The former president accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election, an election the Special Counsel says donald trump knew he lost. Moments ago, the former president s Plane Landing Back at Newark Airport right there. He is headed back to bedminster at this hour, after surrendering in washington today. Trump pleading not guilty in that courtroom. Just hours earlier, we witnessed the Mow Tar Torcade in washingt. Trump riding alone in his vehicle. The Motorcade Entering through an underground garage. Inside the courtroom, Special Counsel jack smith, along with his team. Also in the courthouse, Police Officers who defended the capitol and january 6th. Tonight here, the striking details from inside the courtroom. Trump waiting 25 minutes for the judge to arrive. Hearing the charges. The judge listing the maximum Prison Sentences for each charge. And just before he boarded his plane back to new jersey, what trump, standing in the pouring rain, said about this historic criminal case. Our team all right here at the desk tonight on what happens next, but first, abcs Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas leading us off. Reporter it was an extraordinary moment in washington. Former President Donald Trump returning to the nations capi capital, but this was not the way he expected to come back. Waving as he stepped off his plane at Reagan National airport just before 3 00 p. M. This afternoon to face historic charges. Never before has a former president been charged with attempting to overturn an election. Special counsel alleging donald trump knew he lost. Driving through the Nations Capital to the courthouse just blocks from the white house, and the capitol, where the attack played out on january 6th. Seen through the window traveling alone in his motorcade as it traveled through the city streets, weaving toward that federal courthouse. His Motorcade Driving in through the underground garage. Out of sight from onlookers lining the streets. Inside that courthouse, the former president processed. His fingerprints taken, and his personal information recorded. He was not placed in handcuffs, and there was no mug shot taken. Authorities deeming it unnecessary, because hes one of the knost photomost photographe world. The arraignment described as routine, though the defendant and the charges are anything but. Just before 4 00 p. M. , trump entering a large courtroom on the second floor to appear before a magistrate judge. Already inside, federal prosecutors and Special Counsel jack smith himself off to the side. Smith could be seen looking at trump. The former president , franked by his attorneys at the defense table, looking around the courtroom. At one point, staring directly back at jack smith, too. The two facetoface for the First Time Since june 13th, his last arraignment. Trumps hands clasped on the table. Waiting for over 20 minutes before the judge entered the courtroom and the case was announced. The United States of america versus donald j. Trump. After he was sworn in, the judge requesting trump say his full name and his age, 77. The judge then reading the charges conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, specifically the January 6th Certification of the president ial results. Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights, to deprive people of their right to vote and to have their votes counted. The judge then making sure trump was aware of the maximum penalty for each count. Count one, up to five years. Count two, up to 20 years. Count three, up to 20 years. And count four, up to ten years. Standing, trump himself pleading not guilty to each of those counts, as he had to every charge hes faced. The prosecutors then arguing for a speedy drill. Donald trumps Team Immediately refuting that, saying the Special Counsel has had ample time. They need time, too, to defend trump. The judge responded, you will get a fair trial. On the issue of timing, the magistrate said, take it up with the judge who has been assigned the case. The hearing taking just under 30 minutes. Also in the courthouse today, officers who defended the capitol on january 6th, capitol Police Officers harry dunn and aquilino gonell, and d. C. Metro Police Officer daniel hodges, who was pinned between two doors by rioters. His aide, walt nauta, who is charged with trump in the classified documents case, holding the umbrella for the former president. Trump speaking to the cameras in the rain, before taking off to new jersey. This is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in america. David the former president at reagan airport. The whole team with me here tonight. First to pierre, and it wasnt just donald trump in that courtroom today. The Special Counsel, jack smith, also there. Well, trump spoke today, but smith did not fr. From now on, we will only hear him speak in court. He was there to speak volumes. Number one, i did this, i am prosecuting you, donald trump. And he wanted to support his staff. Hearing is coming up august 28th. The case will start to unfold. David august 28th, just a couple of weeks from now. Pierre, thank you. Lets get to Katherine Faulders, live outside the courtroom. Katherine, the first legal fight in that courtroom today was over timing. Jack smiths team pushing for a speedy trial. Donald trumps legal team pushing back. Reporter yeah, the first real debate over timing for this trial. Prosecutors said they were already prepared to turn over to trump and his legal team a substantial amount of discovery. But trumps lawyers said the Special Counsel has had years to investigate, and they wanted the opportunity to fairly defend their client. They said theyll need time. The judge inside that courtroom assured trumps lawyers that they would have fair process and a fair trial. And that any concerns they had would be addressed at another hearing at the end of this month. David . David Katherine Faulders over the fight on timing right away. Lets bring in dan abrams. Dan, who controls the timing here . And how significant is this . Will this play out before the election . So, its the judge, tanya chutkan, who is going to make the decision here. And shes someone who has issued some tough sentences for some of the other january 6th defendants. She also ruled against donald trump when he was trying to keep some of his white house files from the january 6th commission. So, at first blush, shes someone who may move the case pretty quickly, but remember, it really is something that the defendant has more control over than the prosecution, as to the speed of the trial. The big question, of course, is going to be, do they have this trial before the 2024 election . David dan, thank you. Jon, weve been talking about this. We knew these criminal cases would collide with the campaign, and we saw it today, already, as we just heard from pierre, august 28th, the hearing, just days before a republican debate. Mike pence is fighting to make it on that stage. Donald trump hasnt decided if hell be there, but you could potentially have the defendant on the stage and the star witness in this criminal trial. That first hearing just five days after that first republican debate. And we already have a trial date, may change, but the trial date in the documents case is just weeks before the Republican Convention next summer. You are seeing a convergence of the political world and the legal world, and Donald Trumps message, his legal message is now virtually indistinguishable from his political message. Theyre indicting me, he tells his supporters, because the real target is you. He sounds like somebody who is campaigning as much to stay out of prison as he is campaigning to be in the white house. David he did say in recent days, ive been indicted for you. Just incredible. Jon karl, thank you. This appears to be life in america over the next year and a half. And mary bruce, anything from the white house tonight . No. The president is staying out of this. Instead of attacking trump, hes trying to focus on governing. His hope here is that he can draw a sharp contrast between the work hes doing for the American People and the trauma thats now playing out on the republican side. The big question, though, how long can biden stay silent . When does he finally go on the attack . We know that at a recent lunch with president biden, former president obama voiced concerns. Offering to do everything he can to help wibiden win a second te. David the New York Times new poll, trump biden, 4343. Uncomfortably close for this white house, david. David our team, thank you all tonight. In the meantime, were going to move onto the other major news this thursday night. This evening, two u. S. Navy sailors are accused of betrayal, charged with sending National Defense secrets to china for thousands of dollars in exchange. One sailor tonight facing an espionage charge, which could carry a life sentence. He heres matt gutman. Reporter tonight, federal investigators charging two u. S. Navy sailors with a shocking betrayal. Stealing Defense Secrets and selling them to china. When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country and hands over National Defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, we have to be ready to act. Reporter in both cases, the sailors were allegedly approached by chinese spies and offered thousands of dollars in exchange for delivering classified details about navy operations. Its unclear if the cases are connected. The most serious charge of espionage leveled against 22yearold sailor on wednesday. The unauthorized disclosure could place the National Security of the United States and the safety of his fellow u. S. Navy sailors in jeopardy. Reporter prosecutors say the sailor sent a chinese spy details about the defense and weapons capabilities of u. S. Navy ships, as well as information on ship movement. Authorities say he was paid at least 5,000 for selling technical manuals, blueprints, photos, and videos of the essex. This is part of a Brazen Campaign by the peoples republic of china to target u. S. Military officials. Reporter and 26yearold sailor stationed at a naval base in ventura county, california, now charged with conspiracy and taking bribes. Authorities saying over the course of nearly two years, he sold photos and diagrams of a u. S. Military radar system in japan, as well as yielding precise operational details about an upcoming naval exercise in the pacific. He received nearly 15,000. David, a short time ago, both of the suspects had their first hearing in court. Neither of them entered a plea. And officials with whom im speaking tonight are telling me that these two arrests might just be the tip of the iceberg in what theyre calling this brazen and expanding effort by chinese intelligence to intill trait the u. S. Military and recruit military personnel. David . David Malt Gutman In California tonight. Matt, thank you. We turn now to the texas border tonight. Authorities say two bolds have been found near that controversial buoy that text texas authorities placed across part of the rio grande. One body had to be removed from the barrier. Abcs Mireya Villarreal in texas tonight. Reporter tonight, officials investigating after a body was found lodged in the floating barrier set up in the rio grande river. Texas Officials Say it appears the person drowned further upstream. Mexican authorities tell abc news they found a second body in the vicinity. The thousandfootlong barrier blocks a shallow part of the river near eagle pass, texas, forcing migrants to cross where the water is deeper. We saw that barrier up close. These are very hard plastic. Underneath, it seems to be a cable that is holding them all together, and that is latched to the bottom of the river. Governor greg abbott claiming it helps protect the texas border. But we watched more than a dozen migrants walk right past it. She says, those things dont work, because we are here with force. These deaths come as abbott continues to Bus Thousands of Asylum Seekers to democraticled cities. Hundreds waiting outside this New York City hotel. New york city should not be going through this on their own. This is not sustainable, and ive said it over and over again. Reporter Officials Say theyve received more than 2,000 migrants just last week. David, we have learned one of the people found was a migrant from honduras, another one is a mexican national. The president of mexico is saying that this barrier is inhumane and it violates their sovereignty. On top of that, well also note, the u. S. Department of justice is suing the state of texas over these red buoys. David . David mireya, thank you. In the northeast tonight, a Deadly Home Explosion in a new jersey neighborhood. Multiple victims. The stunning aftermath here. The home rep deuced to smoking rubble. Nearby homes were damaged. Two bodies have been removed from the debris. Two people are still missing. Heres abcs Stephanie Ramos now. Reporter tonight, an urgent search for more victims, after a deadly house explosion shook this south new jersey neighborhood. As of this time, we have recovered two bodies from the rubble. Reporter authorities still looking for at least two others. The house shook so much that i thought it was in the house. Reporter firefighters descending on this street around 10 30 this morning in atlantic county. Smoke pouring from where the home once stood as they put out the flames. That house reduced to rubble. A 16yearold and 1yearold child who survived the blast medevaced to a burn center in nearby philadelphia. The teens burns appearing nonlifethreatening, according to authorities. I saw her and was speaking to her. She did have some burns. Reporter the blast also damaging several other homes that had to be evacuated. So far, police say no other injuries are reported. Police say utilities on that street have been shut off. Theyve also launched a criminal investigation until a cause is determined. David . David Stephanie Ramos tonight. Steph, thank you. To pittsburgh tonight, where the convicted killer who took the lives of 11 people at that synagogue has now been sentenced to death. A judge accepting the jurys recommendation that Robert Bowers should die for the worst ant antisemitic attack in u. S. History. Bowers convicted on all 63 counts. It is the First FederalDeath Sentence imposed during the biden presidency. There is currently a federal moratorium on executions. We do have one note on the economy and gas prices tonight. The u. S. Watching a move by saudi arabia, which could very wel