Former President Donald Trump is asking to push back the start date of his federal criminal trial until April 2026.
The indictment in question was revealed at the beginning of February 2021 and is in relation to Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. He is charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, and Conspiracy Against Rights.
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team argued that jury selection should begin in December of this year and that the trial should start in January 2024. However Trump’s legal team filed on the night of Thursday to counter-argue that the date should not be until April 2026.
The indictment alleged that Trump had spread numerous lies following his election defeat such as that “outcome-definitive fraud” had occurred and that he had in fact won.
The court, being headed by U.S. District Judge Tonya Chutkan, have made it clear that no special treatment should be implemented for Trump. “We consider this day job of the former president just as we consider the day job of any other defendant” ruled Judge Chutkan.
The outcome of this trial could have serious implications for Trump and when it comes to proving any alleged guilt or innocence, his defense of not having acted illegally has been granted preliminary approval.
This trial has been the center of attention for multiple news sources, from a legal standpoint as well as a political one. Fox News Analyst Randy Brown suggested that the reasons for such a long wait for the trial could be that “It’s possible that Trump’s legal team is simply buying him more time to find ways to fight the charges, or is waiting for more favorable circumstances to deal with the case.”
On the other hand, Politico Analyst Andrew Haynes remarked that “It’s clear that justice shouldn’t be delayed… It’s not as if former President Trump is unaware of the case against him, and the public deserves a verdict as soon as possible.”
Overall, it remains to be seen if the trial will indeed be pushed back to April 2026. Until then, Trump and his legal team will continue to discuss the matter behind closed doors.
Trump also guesstimates it will take him 4-6 weeks to present his defense, same estimate as prosecution, which means we’re looking at a very roughly estimated 14-week trial, when you factor in jury selection. https://t.co/WLyWQsdQ1L pic.twitter.com/urHndTVAMR
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 17, 2023