Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired to obstruct the 2020 presidential election and interfere with the voting rights of millions of Americans — a case his legal team said it was prepared to "vigorously” defend.

The former U.S. president was arraigned Thursday in the federal courthouse in Washington before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya. He’ll remain free while the case moves forward, but was prohibited from speaking to anyone identified as a witness about the facts of the case except through his lawyers.

During the 30-minute hearing, Trump sat just a few feet from Special Counsel John "Jack” Smith — who has indicted him twice. They didn’t interact. Trump spoke little, as is typical for arraignments, though he made a point of stating his not guilty plea rather than have his lawyer, John Lauro, do it for him.