Trump in a historic first court appearance as a federal defendant pleaded not guilty to dozens of criminal counts of mishandling some of the US government's most sensitive secrets and scheming to prevent their return, news agency AFP said in its report.

It said Trump gave himself up to US Marshals in Miami for a hearing that set up the unprecedented scenario of a White House race litigated from the courtroom as well as at the ballot box.

“On the eve of his 77th birthday, Trump appeared before a magistrate judge to be formally presented with 37 counts under seven charges brought by a special counsel probe that opened after an FBI raid of his Florida mansion 10 months ago,” it said.

“But he dismissed his prosecution as politically-motivated in a speech to supporters framing the indictment as an effort to interfere in the 2024 election,” it stated.

"Today we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country. Very sad thing to watch," Trump was quoted as having said.

The US government— which has never before prosecuted a former president— accuses Trump of violating the Espionage Act and other laws when he removed classified documents upon leaving office in 2021 and failed to give them up to the National Archives, it mentioned.

"A corrupt sitting president had his top political opponent arrested on fake and fabricated charges -- of which he and numerous other presidents would be guilty -- right in the middle of a presidential election, in which he's losing very badly," Trump was quoted as having said.

The report mentioned he was cheered by several hundred supporters, including 100 members of a conservative organization of Vietnamese Americans who had donned matching red dresses and chanted: "We love Trump."