Donald Trump election interference trial in D.C. set for March 4

Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The federal trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election will begin March 4 in Washington, a judge decided Monday.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan set the trial date during a status hearing with Trump's attorneys and special counsel Jack Smith. Trump was not present.

The former president's defense sought to push the trial back to April 2026, well past the 2024 election in which Trump is seeking the GOP nomination. Smith called for a Jan. 2 start date, coinciding with the start of the Republican primaries.

Early in the hearing Chutkan said neither proposal is acceptable as they fall outside the federal court's typical timelines.

Among the concerns laid out by Trump's team is the potential conflict with other cases, such as the classified documents case against him in Florida. The defense also said it needs more time to review the evidence in the election interference case.

Chutkan was critical of a two-year delay proposed by the defense, telling Trump's attorneys they are not "entitled to unlimited preparation time."

March 4 falls on the eve of Super Tuesday, when many states will hold 2024 presidential primary elections. Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis had previously proposed starting the trial of Trump and 18 co-defendants on that date before proposing an October start.

Smith has opposed delaying the trial beyond the election, stating in a six-page filing that all of Trump's "purported concerns" can be addressed by moving jury selection up and starting the trial quickly.

Smith and Chutkan may also have an interest in starting the trial sooner to protect the jury pool. Chutkan has warned Trump about a series of inflammatory statements relating to the case as they may "taint the jury pool or intimidate potential witnesses."

Trump is the only defendant named in this case, but the indictment mentions six unindicted co-conspirators. He is accused of methodically using false claims of voter fraud to attempt to get state and local officials to subvert legitimate election results and dismiss electors and swap them with fraudulent electors.

Monday's hearing took place as Trump's former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows appeared in an Atlanta courtroom in a separate case related to election interference.

Meadows is seeking to move his case to federal court. He is among 19 co-defendants, including Trump, in that case.

They are set to be arraigned on Sept. 6.