<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Donald Trump is returning to New Jersey after pleading not guilty to historic charges of mishandling sensitive files at a federal court in Miami, Florida.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Trump is the first US president - current or former - to be hit with a federal criminal indictment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Arms crossed, in a dark suit and red tie, he sat in stone-faced silence for his second court appearance this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Republican will travel to his golf club in Bedminster, where he will address supporters on Tuesday evening.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Already, club employees have begun preparations for the rally, setting up American flags, bunting and dozens of white chairs ahead of the appearance by Mr Trump, who is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before leaving Miami, Mr Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social, thanked the city for "such a warm welcome on such a sad day for our country".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just hours before, in a 13th floor room of a federal courthouse in downtown Miami, a sombre, subdued Mr Trump looked on while his lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on 37 counts of illegally retaining classified documents and obstructing the government's efforts to get them back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty," the attorney, Todd Blanche, told the judge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Trump's co-defendant, Walt Nauta - a close aide charged with six criminal counts in the case - was sitting at the same table as the former president.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the opposite side of the room sat the entire prosecution team, including special counsel Jack Smith, who announced the indictment last week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The former president, 76, was allowed to leave court without any restrictions to domestic or international travel. Prosecutors told Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman the defendant was not considered a flight risk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Mr Trump will not be allowed to discuss the case with Mr Nauta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the hearing, the Republican flashed supporters a thumbs up as his motorcade left the courthouse. As the drove away, an anti-Trump protester dressed in a prison jumpsuit ran into the street in front of the Trump motorcade before he was pushed away by security - perhaps the most unruly moment of a largely peaceful day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Trump and his security detail travelled directly to Versailles, a popular Cuban restaurant in Miami's Little Havana, where he was greeted by a throng of supporters who lined up for photos with the former president.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He appeared to take part in a prayer with some patrons, and was treated to a chorus of Happy Birthday to You, ahead of his 77th on Wednesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alina Habba, a lawyer attorney for the former president, repeated the former president's claims that the charges were politically motivated as she addressed media outside court.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We are at a turning point in our nation's history, the targeting prosecution of a leading political opponent is the type of thing you see in dictatorships like Cuba and Venezuela," she told reporters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"What is being done to the President Trump should terrify all citizens of this country," she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before the hearing, court officials said Mr Trump would not have a mugshot taken but would be digitally fingerprinted and asked to submit a DNA sample by swab.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A trial date has not yet been set, though the case is still earmarked for Aileen Cannon, a federal district judge in South Florida who was appointed by Mr Trump.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>