Federal Judge Sets Trial For Trump’s Election Fraud Case Will Begin In March

Federal judge Tanya Chutkan set a trial date of March 4 for the prosecution of Donald Trump for charges that he led an illegal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Though prosecutors initially asked for a start date of January 2, Chutkan’s decision still served as a win. Trump’s schedule for the spring is quickly filling up with court dates: the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, has shared her intention of bringing him to trial on charges of election tampering in the state on March 4. Another case in Manhattan dealing with more than 30 hush-money payments from the president to an adult film star will go to trial on March 25.

Should the Washington trial extend beyond 11 weeks, it could potentially infringe on the former president’s other federal trial in May. He has been charged with illegally retaining classified information after leaving the White House and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

“Mr. Trump, like any defendant, will have to make the trial date work regardless of his schedule,” Chutkan said, explaining that “there is a societal interest in a speedy trial.”

Lawyers for Trump argued that the amount of evidence in the federal case would justify a later start date of April 2026. Prosecutors countered by stating that most evidence would be fairly easy to find, as much of it will come from Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Following the decision, Trump took to social media and promised to appeal, though scheduling conflicts are generally not considered to be legitimate grounds for appeal.