Topline
Former President Donald Trump vowed to appeal the March 4 trial date set by Washington, D.C., District Judge Tanya Chutkan for his federal election interference case Monday—a schedule that overlaps with the presidential primary calendar.
Attorneys for former U.S. President Donald Trump, Todd Blanche (C), John Lauro (2nd R) and Gregory … [+] Singer (L), arrive at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Court House August 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Key Facts
Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday afternoon he would appeal Chutkan’s decision, calling her a “biased Trump-hating judge.”
The trial in the case charging Trump with four felonies related to his efforts to block President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win is set to commence a day before Super Tuesday, when more than a dozen states will hold their 2024 presidential primaries.
Chutkan said during a hearing Monday that neither the January 2 trial date proposed Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office nor the April 2026 date proposed by Trump’s legal team is “acceptable,” according to multiple reports.
Trump’s attorneys argued for a later date, citing the need for “a reasonable amount of time to prepare” a defense, while Justice Department lawyers said Trump’s public attacks on the merits of the case heighten the need for a speedy trial, alleging his rhetoric could potentially taint a jury pool, Politico reported.
Trump’s attorney John Lauro also indicated his legal team plans to argue the case is “retaliation” for Trump’s attacks on President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, according to Politico.
Crucial Quote
“Let’s take the temperature down,” Chutkan said when Laurao accused prosecutors of wanting a “show trial” rather than a “speedy trial,” according to Politico. “I understand Mr. Trump is presumed innocent, as is every defendant . . . Let’s not overlook the fact that Mr. Trump has considerable resources that every defendant does not usually have.”
Tangent
Trump also addressed a New York Post report that a prosecutor from Smith’s office met with a White House lawyer on March 31, insinuating the White House improperly interfered in the Justice Department’s investigations into his handling of classified documents, his conduct surrounding the 2020 presidential election results, or both. Special Counsel spokesperson Peter Carr told the Post the DOJ lawyer was at the White House for a “case-related interview,” but declined to comment further. “Deranged Jack Smith & his team of Thugs, who were caught going to the White House just prior to Indicting the 45th President of the United States (an absolute No No!), have been working on this Witch Hunt for almost 3 years, but decided to bring it smack in the middle of Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent’s campaign against him,” Trump wrote.
What To Watch For
In a separate hearing in Atlanta on Monday, Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows—one of 18 co-defendants indicted alongside Trump by a Fulton County grand jury on August 14 for their efforts to overturn Biden’s win in Georgia—argued his case should be moved to federal court. At least four other defendants in the Georgia case, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, former Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer, former Coffee County GOP Chair Cathy Latham and Georgia State Sen. Shawn Still, have requested to move their cases to federal court, claiming their conduct is tied to federal, not state laws. Trump is also expected to make a similar request. Moving the case to federal court could potentially lead to a more favorable jury pool that would encompass more conservative-leaning suburbs outside of Fulton County, which predominantly covers Democratic-leaning Atlanta.
Key Background
A Washington, D.C. grand jury indicted Trump August 1 on four charges related to his efforts to overturn the election and stay in power, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy against rights of citizens, obstructing an official proceeding and conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, alleging they amount to “persecution of a political opponent,” while accusing the Justice Department of acting on Biden’s behalf in order to hurt his chances of being re-elected. Two weeks later, a Fulton County grand jury charged Trump with 13 felonies in a separate case related to his efforts to reverse Biden’s win in Georgia. He and his 18 co-defendants were all charged with racketeering in the case, among 41 total counts. All of the defendants in the case surrendered and were arrested last week. Unlike his previous three indictments, Trump had his mug shot taken for the first time and was required to post a $200,000 bond to be released from the Fulton County Jail.
Further Reading
