7th August, 2023
Former U.S President Donald Trump says he will request that his trial be overseen by a different judge and that the case be transferred out of Washington.
The twice-impeached Republican has hurled insults at those prosecuting him or overseeing the case in which he faces charges of attempting to overturn 2020 election results and cheat the United States.
His most recent target is US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, a Democratic former president Barack Obama appointee who was assigned to the case in Washington at random.
Using all capital letters, Trump posted “There is no way I can get a fair trial with the judge ‘assigned’ to the ridiculous freedom of speech/fair elections case. Everybody knows this, and so does she,” on his Truth Social platform.
“We will be immediately asking for recusal of this judge on very powerful grounds, and likewise for venue change,” out of Washington — a majority Black city that leans heavily Democratic, Trump continued.
Chutkan, 61, is one of a dozen federal district court judges in Washington. The Senate unanimously accepted her nomination to her position in 2014.
She has a judicial history with Trump, having ruled against him in a case in November 2021 in which she famously stated that “presidents are not kings.” She has also given harsh penalties to Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2017.
She has rejected recent demands from Trump’s legal team.
She dismissed their application to extend the deadline for replying to the US government’s protection order request on Saturday, potentially limiting what Trump and his lawyers may publicly discuss about his case.
Trump’s lawyers requested that the deadline be extended to Thursday, but the judge stated they had to stick to the present deadline of 5:00 p.m. (2100 GMT) Monday.
A hearing before Chutkan is scheduled for August 28 to announce Trump’s trial date in the election case.
Despite his legal troubles, Trump retains the support of a sizable portion of his party. In polls, he has a sizable advantage over his closest challenger, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
AFP