Trump enters plea in slimmed-down D.C. election interference case

Former President Donald Trump is pleading not guilty to charges following his re-indictment in special counsel Jack Smith's election interference case in Washington, D.C.

Last month, Smith tweaked the charges to remove references that Trump tried to order the Justice Department to carry out corrupt acts to obstruct the election. The references couldn't be proven under the Supreme Court's ruling because they rely on evidence that is immune from review.

Trump's plea of not guilty came in a court filing Tuesday that also said he wants to be excused from appearing in person, CNN reported.

“I, President Donald J. Trump, the above-named defendant … do hereby waive my right to be present at Arraignment and I authorize my attorneys to enter a plea of not guilty on my behalf to each and every count of the superseding indictment,” Trump said in the filing. “I further state that I have received a copy of the superseding indictment and reviewed it with my counsel.”

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A scheduled court hearing on Thursday will be the first in Judge Tanya Chutkan's courtroom since the Supreme Court's bombshell immunity ruling.

Chutkan is tasked with deciding how to proceed with Trump's criminal case over his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This includes scheduling, determining which witnesses can be called, and whether prosecutors can take Trump to trial, according to CNN.