Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in a Washington DC court to conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

According to BBC News, Mr Trump entered through a backdoor of the courthouse on Thursday afternoon, just yards from the scene of the US Capitol riot that is central to the prosecution’s case.

The allegations laid out include a count of “conspiracy to impair, obstruct, and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud and deceit”.

Mr Trump then spoke softly during the arraignment to confirm his not-guilty plea, name and age, and that he was not under the influence of any substances.

This marks the former president’s third appearance in four months as a criminal defendant.

Afterward, he told reporters that the case was “persecution of a political opponent”.

He is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican White House nomination and may face a rematch with Joe Biden.