Washington, Aug 29
Former US President Donald Trump once again tried to steal the show from the Washington D.C. Federal Courts and Atlanta County hearings on his election subversion and racketeering charges by calling President Joe Biden's federal officials "fascist thugs".
Trump literally defied the Federal district judge in Washington D.C. Judge Tanya Chutkan, ahead of her hearings today on him, who previously had warned the former President that "inflammatory statements" would compel her to speed up his trial.
Monday's court hearing set the date for Trump to stand trial on March 4, 2024, in the thick of the Republican primaries and campaigns to the 2024 presidential race.
In a post on Monday on Truth Social, Trump called special counsel Jack Smith "deranged", suggesting federal officials investigating his actions were "political sleazebags" and accused Biden allies in the White House of being "fascist thugs", media reports said.
"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 Indicting me OVER NOTHING," Trump wrote.
"If this is so, which it is, that means that Biden and his Fascist Thugs knew and APPROVED this Country dividing Form of Election Interference, despite their insisting that they ‘knew nothing.’ It’s all a BIG LIE, just like Russia, Russia, Russia, & not knowing about son’s business dealings. DISMISS CASE!†Trump ranted in his post to shift attention from Monday’s hearings against him in two courts.
Trump seems to allege that White House officials met with aides to special counsel Jack Smith ahead of the federal indictment involving Trump's efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. Trump also referred to controversies surrounding Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, on China and the "illegal means" of acquiring a gun.
The former President's attack was timed to appear before attorneys and federal prosecutors began their arguments for the trial date in the federal criminal case related to the 2020 election.
Even as prosecutors pushed for a January 2, 2024, start date, while Trump's attorneys pulled for a April 2026 trial, Judge Chutkan chose a middle path setting the date for trial to March 4, 2024, much to the discomfiture of Trump and his legal team as it appeared in the middle of the Republican campaign schedules for the 2024 presidency.
Trump had always wanted to push off his court fights until after the presidential election. Because, if he was elected president, his Justice Department could end his federal prosecution, or Trump could pardon himself, reports said.
Earlier this month, however, US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, had warned both sides in the case to refrain from making any statements that could intimidate witnesses or prejudice the jury pool. She said making such statements would compel her to speed up the trial. "The more a party makes inflammatory statements about this case, the greater the urgency will be that we proceed to trial quickly," Chutkan said at the hearing.
