Trump urges prosecutors to drop case, offers preview of defense

Former U.S. President Donald Trump urged prosecutors to drop the charges against him and insisted on his innocence in his first public remarks following his arraignment in federal court over mishandling classified materials.

In a 30-minute speech in front of supporters in New Jersey on Tuesday evening, Trump repeated his claims that the federal charges against him were "election interference."

Previewing a possible legal defense, Trump said he had a right to go through boxes and separate personal records from government documents.

He also said he had not had a chance to review all the materials transferred from the White House before FBI agents searched his Mar-a-Lago residence last year.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump appeared in a Miami federal court where he pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges in his classified documents case.

(CGTN)