A federal judge in former president Donald Trump’s election interference case set his court date for March 4, in the heart of the Republican primary battle.
The former president faces charges that he worked to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump, who was processed in Fulton County, Georgia, last week for similar charges, unsuccessfully fought to have this Washington, D.C. trial pushed until 2026, after the presidential election.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan set the date, which is the day before Super Tuesday, when more than a dozen key states vote for their pick in the Republican field.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said Monday that Trump and his alleged co-conspirators in the case will be arraigned Sept. 6.
Trump faces 91 charges across four indictments in Florida, New York, Georgia and Washington, D.C. The other charges are related to Trump’s alleged payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and his handling of classified documents.
Trump’s court date for the alleged payments is in late March, and the classified documents court date is set for May, both in the middle of a heated election year. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin July 15 of next year.
Trump, who is far and away the Republican frontrunner for president, has blasted the indictments as political weaponization of the legal system.
“It has just been reported that aides to TRUMP prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, met with high officials at the White House just prior to these political SleazeBags Indicating me OVER NOTHING,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to reporting from the New York Post that aides for Biden and Smith met just before the indictment was announced.
“If this is so, which it is, that means that Biden and his Fascist Thugs knew and APPROVED of this Country dividing Form of Election Interference, despite their insisting that they ‘knew nothing,’ Trump added. “It’s all a BIG LIE, just like Russia, Russia, Russia, & not knowing about son’s business dealings. DISMISS CASE!”
Most Republican candidates at the Republican debate last week pledged to still support Trump for president if he wins the nomination but is convicted.
