Donald Trump is seeking a delay in his federal election interference trial, hoping to push it back to April 2026. In new legal documents, Trump states that he wants the trial to begin after he potentially gets another shot at the White House. Currently, the trial is scheduled for January 2024, a date proposed by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
According to Trump, the delay is necessary because prosecutors have provided a staggering 11.5 million pages of documents, which he claims would stretch nearly 5,000 feet into the sky if stacked together. Trump’s attorneys require ample time to thoroughly review this extensive amount of evidence.
The requested trial start date would fall about 17 months after the 2024 presidential election, where Trump is considered the leading Republican candidate. By pushing the trial back, Trump aims to avoid any legal distractions during his campaign efforts.
It’s important to note that these proceedings are just one of the four criminal cases facing the former president. The trial in question relates specifically to his federal indictment for attempting to undermine the 2020 election through actions taken on, before, and after January 6, 2021.
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On August 1, prosecutors at the Department of Justice charged Trump with four counts: conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against the right to vote. These charges mark a significant legal battle for the former president.
In another effort to delay the trial, Trump pleads not guilty to the charges. Previously, Smith’s team of prosecutors filed documents requesting jury selection to begin in December 2023, with the trial starting on January 2, 2024. However, this proposed trial period would coincide with Trump’s campaign for the 2024 election, including the Iowa Caucus on January 15, posing a potential conflict of interest.
Considering Trump’s political aspirations, it is not surprising that he wants to postpone the trial until after the 2024 election. This would allow him to potentially return to the presidency, creating more historic and unprecedented circumstances.
The trial date is expected to be set during an August 28 hearing, where the judge will decide whether to accommodate Trump’s request for a delay. As the legal battle unfolds, the outcome will have significant implications for Trump’s political future and the accountability for his alleged actions surrounding the 2020 election.
