Trump 2020 election charges live updates: Former president calls indictment ‘pile-on’

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Former President Donald Trump has been charged in connection with his alleged attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.

A 45-page federal indictment, unsealed Tuesday, accuses Trump of four felony counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. The former president, who is currently the Republican front-runner in the 2024 race, has been summoned to appear in court in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

It’s the third time that Trump has been indicted on criminal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the two other cases, decrying the investigations as political witch hunts. He continues to insist that the 2020 vote was rigged and, speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, described the latest charges as a “pile-on” and “election interference.”

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Aug 02, 10:17 AM EDT
Who is the judge assigned to the case

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has been assigned to oversee former President Donald Trump’s case involving his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to the court docket.

Click here to read more about Chutkan.

Aug 02, 10:03 AM EDT
How Trump could challenge the indictment

As former President Donald Trump prepares to fight a sweeping federal indictment charging him with unlawfully attempting to overturn the 2020 election, legal experts weigh in on what to expect as the case moves forward.

Click here for their take on what’s next and how Trump could challenge the indictment.

Aug 02, 9:11 AM EDT
Special counsel speaks out on Trump’s 3rd indictment

Shortly after a third indictment was unveiled against former President Donald Trump, special counsel Jack Smith spoke briefly from the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday about the new charges related to Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Smith, the independent prosecutor overseeing the federal cases against Trump, said the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was “an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy” that was “fueled by lies” from the former president about the 2020 election.

“The indictment was issued by a grand jury of citizens here in the District of Columbia and it sets forth the crimes charged in detail,” Smith told reporters. “I encourage everyone to read it in full.”

Click here to read more of Smith’s comments.

Aug 02, 8:50 AM EDT
2024 GOP candidates react to Trump’s 3rd indictment

The latest indictment against former President Donald Trump quickly divided the GOP primary field that is running against him in the 2024 presidential election, with some of his fellow White House contenders opting to defend him and others lambasting him on Tuesday.

Click here to read their reactions.

Aug 02, 8:26 AM EDT
Lawmakers react to Trump’s 3rd indictment

After a third indictment was filed against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the reaction on Capitol Hill was swift.

Republican leaders again came to Trump’s defense as they did after he was charged in a New York state indictment and a federal indictment in Florida. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats called the indictment a serious development and said the former president must be held responsible if found guilty.

Click here to read the reactions from lawmakers.

Aug 02, 7:34 AM EDT
Who are the ‘co-conspirators’ in the indictment

The latest indictment against former President Donald Trump references — but does not name — six other “co-conspirators” who took actions alongside him.

ABC News has identified five of the co-conspirators based on details in Tuesday’s federal indictment as well as publicly available information. Click here to read more.

Aug 02, 7:05 AM EDT
What’s in the indictment

A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday charges former President Donald Trump with four counts in connection with his alleged plot to overthrow the result of the 2020 presidential election.

Click here to read the full 45-page indictment as well as a breakdown of some of the major details.

Aug 02, 6:32 AM EDT
Trump describes latest indictment as ‘pile-on,’ ‘election interference’

Former President Donald Trump described the latest charges against him as a “pile-on.”

“It’s election interference,” Trump told ABC News in a brief telephone interview on Tuesday, after the sweeping federal indictment was unsealed.

Trump, who is currently the Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential race, said he is “doing very well in the polls” and that he believes he will “defeat” President Joe Biden in the upcoming election.

Trump also called the recent indictments against him “ridiculous,” telling ABC News he will “fight and we will win.”

-ABC News’ John Santucci

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.