Donald Trump enters a not guilty plea during his arraignment for using secret documents.

Mr. Trump is the first US president, living or dead, to be charged with a federal crime.

He appeared in court for the second time this year with his arms crossed, wearing a dark suit and a red tie.

On Tuesday night, the Republican will address his followers at his golf club in Bedminster.

Employees of the club have already started setting up American flags, bunting, and numerous white seats in anticipation of the presence by Mr. Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Before departing Miami, Mr. Trump expressed gratitude to the city for "such a warm welcome on such a sad day for our country" on his social media network Truth Social.

Just hours earlier, Mr Trump had watched as his attorney entered a not-guilty plea on 37 charges of illegally holding onto confidential materials and impeding the government's efforts to recover them in a courtroom on the 13th floor of a federal building in downtown Miami.

The lawyer, Todd Blanche, formally entered a not-guilty plea before the judge.

Trump's campaign is boosted by the court drama

Photos from Trump's court appearance on the documents

Walt Nauta, a close associate of Mr. Trump who is also a defendant in the case and is accused of six felony offences, was seated at the same table as the former president.

The whole prosecution team, including special counsel Jack Smith, who made the indictment public last week, sat on the other side of the room.

The 76-year-old former president was permitted to leave court without any limitations on his ability to travel both domestically and abroad. Judge Jonathan Goodman, a magistrate, was informed by the prosecution that the defendant was not a flight risk.

But Mr. Trump won't be able to speak with Mr. Nauta about the case.

The Republican gave his fans a thumbs up as his motorcade departed the courthouse following the hearing. A prison jumpsuit-clad anti-Trump protester who raced into the roadway in front of the motorcade as it was leaving was eventually driven away by security, making it the most disorderly part of an otherwise tranquil day.

Mr. Trump and his security team went straight to Versailles, a well-known Cuban eatery in Little Havana, Miami, where they were met by a crowd of adoring admirers who lined up for pictures with the former president.

Before his 77th birthday on Wednesday, he appeared to participate in a prayer with a few customers and received a chorus of "Happy Birthday to You."

As she spoke to the media outside of court, Alina Habba, a counsel for the former president, reiterated the former president's accusations that the charges were politically motivated.

She told reporters, "We are at a turning point in the history of our country; the targeting prosecution of a prominent political opponent is the kind of thing you see in dictatorships like Cuba and Venezuela.

"What is being done to the President Trump should terrify all citizens of this country," she continued.

Before the hearing, court representatives stated that Mr. Trump would not have his photograph taken for a mugshot but rather would be digitally fingerprinted and requested to provide a DNA sample via swab.

The lawsuit is still assigned to Aileen Cannon, a Mr. Trump-appointed federal district judge in South Florida, although a trial date has not yet been set.

The charges, which were made public on Friday, came after FBI agents found more than 100 documents with classified markings at Mr Trump's private Florida estate Mar-a-Lago in August.

They allegedly contained information about the defence and weapons capabilities of both the US and foreign countries, as well as plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.

He is charged with stockpiling the documents, keeping some of them in a ballroom and a bathroom, and conspiring with a staff member to thwart the FBI's investigation.

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