Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to all four "election lies" charges during his appearance at a Washington DC court
Prosecutors did not ask for Trump to be detained but he was warned of "consequences" if he were to communicate about the facts of the case
The former president is accused of "fuelling" the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by sowing distrust in the 2020 election
The indictment also says he pressured election officials to change results in a failed attempt to cling on to power
Trump said on the airport tarmac after court that the case is a "persecution of a political opponent" to hurt his chance of re-election in 2024
Trump is the favourite to be the Republican candidate in the 2024 election despite being charged in two other unrelated cases
Cameras have had access to every stage of this (relatively) short hop from New Jersey to Washington DC.
This was the moment Trump climbed down from his private plane - and took a moment to pause for the camera at the top of the stairs - before getting into his car.
Sam Cabral
Reporting from court
Reporters in the courthouse can now see where Donald Trump will hear the charges against him today.
Courtroom 22A sits on the second floor of the E Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, which is located only a few hundred feet from the US Capitol, where Trump supporters rioted on 6 January 2021.
The modest courtroom has two wooden tables, with seven chairs and a television monitor.
Donald Trump and his team, led by attorney John Lauro, will sit at the table on the right.
The judge's chair is set against a marble wall, and Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya - who is presiding over today's hearing - will sit with an American flag to her left.
A small audience, including a few reporters, occupy three rows of benches in the seating area.
Image source, EPA-EFEThe media and demonstrators have been gathering outside the Washington DC court where Donald Trump will be appearing shortly
Image source, EPA-EFEAnti-Trump demonstrators have been making their voices heard, with varying degrees of creativity
Image source, ReutersMeanwhile, pro-Trump crowds have also made sure they're represented outside the court
Image source, ReutersDonald Trump's plane has landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ahead of his court appearance.
The former president is about to head by car to E Barrett Prettyman US Courthouse, roughly a five mile (8km) drive from where he is now.
The court building itself is about a 15 minute walk from the steps of the Capitol Building, where the events being interrogated in this criminal case resulted in a deadly riot on 6 January 2021.
Our reporters are at the court and we'll be bringing you updates.
Sam Cabral
Reporting from court
Image source, ReutersTodd Blanche is one of the lawyers representing Trump
As his legal troubles mount, Donald Trump has been burning through cash.
His team is also relatively small in spite of the growing workload, as the former president has struggled to find lawyers who will represent him.
Three men will be in court today with Trump: John Lauro, Todd Blanche and Evan Corcoran.
Lauro is the new addition, a Florida-based trial and white-collar defence lawyer with over two decades of experience. He has previously represented two other Trump attorneys in litigation.
He has previewed the defence strategy in recent interviews with US media, hinting the team will lean heavily on a free speech defence for how Trump behaved after the election.
Blanche is a former federal prosecutor who joined the team in April. He is also involved with two other Trump cases: the federal classified documents investigation and the hush-money probe in New York.
Corcoran is a former US Attorney and, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News, has been the point person on this case for months.
He is slated to play a potentially crucial role in the classified document probe, where his notes from meetings with Trump may force him to testify as a witness for the government.
Image source, REUTERS/Sarah SilbigerDonald Trump is set to appear at the US District Court in Washington DC.
Trump could have opted to appear virtually - but he confirmed reports from yesterday that he intended to show up in person, with a post, external on social media a little earlier confirming he was en route.
We've just seen him take off from Newark Airport in New Jersey to fly to Washington. The flight is about an hour long.
The court hearing is set for 16:00 EST (21:00 BST). However, the start time may change - we'll let you know if we hear anything.
According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, Trump will enter the court car park before he is processed and taken to the courtroom.
Trump is expected to immediately return to the airport afterwards.
Minutes ago we saw Donald Trump board his private plane at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
The personalised Boeing 757 is nicknamed "Trump Force One" and, true to style, bears his surname in big, gold lettering.
It's a little over an hour in the air to Washington DC, and he'll then travel by car to the courtroom, with a full complement of secret service security around him.
Image source, .Donald Trump's motorcade has arrived at the airport and he's now boarding his plane.
We've just seen him get out of his car on the runway, flanked by security guards, and climb the stairs onto the plane.
Next stop: Washington DC for court.
Donald Trump appears to be posting on social media from the back of the car taking him to the airport.
He's just put out a new post, external on Truth Social, lashing out at Joe Biden and his family, and calling the Washington DC court he's heading to an "unfair venue" with an "unfair judge".
"We are a Nation in Decline", he writes.
Trump's motorcade in New Jersey
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from court
Just a little while ago, we saw Donald Trump claim in a Truth Social post that he'll be "arrested" when he shows up here at the court later today.
But that's not actually true.
As was the case with his previous indictment in Miami, the former president is, technically, voluntarily self-reporting to the court.
Once he's here, he'll appear before Judge Moxila Upadhyaya.
He may also enter a plea, although whether he will actually speak is unclear. In Miami, he did not.
The judge will then set release conditions after hearing from both legal teams. In the previous case, he was released without bail after promising to appear at future court sessions.
Trump was also able to avoid having to surrender his passport and submit to pretrial supervision.
We're very likely to see the same today.
Image source, .We've just seen some aerial footage showing Donald Trump leave his home in Bedminster, New Jersey.
He is travelling inside a black SUV, which is part of a small motorcade.
The former US president is now making his way to the airport and will then fly to Washington DC, where he has been summoned to appear in court at 16:00 ET (21:00 BST).
Image source, .
Image source, ReutersJack Smith is the man tasked with building a case against Donald Trump
"The attack on our nation's Capitol on January 6th 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy… it was fuelled by lies - lies by the defendant..."
To UK readers, it may seem strange to hear an investigator – in this case special counsel Jack Smith – use such strong language.
After all, Donald Trump has not been found guilty of anything.
So it’s important to remember there are differences between legal systems in the UK and the US.
In the UK, a legal case generally becomes “active” when someone is arrested or charged.
When a case is active, the media or any member of the public can be in contempt of court if they risk prejudicing a future court case – for example, by suggesting someone is innocent or guilty.
The punishment can be very serious. And so UK media – and investigators – tend to use careful, even bland language until the case concludes.
The US does not have a similar law – and freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution. So people, and the media, can speak much more freely.
Some prosecutors become high-profile figures as a result.
However, it’s worth saying that, after accusing Trump of lies, Smith did say "the indictment is only an allegation" - and that the defendant must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Jon Donnison
Reporting from court
Image source, EPA-EFEFour hours and counting.
Here outside the courthouse, anticipation of the former president’s appearance has been building since way before dawn.
Scores of TV crews from around the world are lined in front of the court building and journalists have been camped out overnight to try to secure one of the limited spots within the courtroom itself.
Donald Trump is expected to be whisked in through the back entrance for an appearance that will be brief.
The four criminal charges he faces over allegations he tried to overturn the result of the 2020 election will be read to him and he’s expected to plead not guilty.
Security outside the courthouse is tight, with a heavy police presence - but so far they have had little to deal with other than a handful of protestors championing various causes.
Donald Trump has been indicted three times, and is being investigated on several other fronts, meaning more criminal charges could be on the way.
This is where the key cases stand and what they could mean for the former president and frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination:
In terms of the most recent charges, Trump has repeatedly denied responsibility for the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
The former president also previously pleaded not guilty to all charges of mishandling classified files and falsifying business records.
To read the the full list of charges, potential penalties and Trump's defence, head here.
In the last few moments Donald Trump has posted a message on Truth Social, the social media platform he set up after leaving the White House.
He says:
Quote MessageI AM NOW GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE ARRESTED FOR HAVING CHALLENGED A CORRUPT, RIGGED, & STOLEN ELECTION. IT IS A GREAT HONOR, BECAUSE I AM BEING ARRESTED FOR YOU. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from court
Hello from the US District Court for Washington DC, where my colleagues and I are waiting for Donald Trump's arrival this afternoon.
I'm currently in one of two media rooms set up for the occasion. As one can imagine, there is immense interest in the case, and only limited seats in the actual courtroom. Those will be decided by a lottery system shortly.
The reporters not in the courtroom will be watching from the media rooms - where no photographs or recording devices are permitted.
There are about 30 reporters in this particular room, sat along three long tables. Personally, it reminds me a bit of the work spaces in a university library.
There are three TV screens around the room, each of which will show the judge, the docket (legal documents related to the case) and the courtroom.
It's much more hectic outside, where TV crews and correspondents have been doing live shots since this morning.
As I came in, there was also a lone demonstrator calling for Trump to be imprisoned. He has been here since yesterday, holding an AI image of an older, incarcerated Trump. Take a look:
Image source, ReutersTrump has been summoned to appear in court today over charges relating to 6 January and the 2020 election results.
He will face US Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya at a courthouse just across the road from the Capitol building, where the 6 January riot took place.
The judge Trump will appear in front of in his initial appearance is different from the judge who has been assigned to oversee the entire case – that will be US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who was appointed to the judiciary by former president Barack Obama.
Trump faces these charges:
Hello and welcome to our live coverage.
This is our third time covering a court appearance of former US President Donald Trump in just a matter of months.
Today, Trump will be heading to a courthouse near the US Capitol, where some of the alleged crimes took place.
He will appear in front of a judge at 16:00 local time (21:00 BST).
Trump faces charges over his attempt to turn the 2020 presidential election in his favour and his connection to the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
The former president has already been charged in two other cases - with mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a porn star.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.