Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys are asking for his trial over election interference charges to be held in April 2026.
Citing the huge amount of evidentiary materials and the historic nature of the charges, his lawyers said they need the time to adequately defend the 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner. The lawyers said there are as many as 11.5 million pages of documents to review in addition to the testimony of hundreds of witnesses, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s legal team reportedly asked for a trial start date of January 2, 2024, two weeks before the January 15 Iowa caucuses.
“No major party presidential candidate has ever been charged while in the middle of a campaign — and certainly not by a Justice Department serving his opponent,” wrote Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Gregory Singer in a Thursday court filing, according to the WSJ.
Relatedly, Trump had planned on holding a press conference on August 21, during which he was going to make public information he claimed would exonerate him and the 18 other people charged in connection with the Georgia election interference case. Instead, he said he would submit the information as evidence in upcoming legal proceedings.
“Rather than releasing the Report on the Rigged & Stolen Georgia 2020 Presidential Election on Monday, my lawyers would prefer putting this, I believe, Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence of Election Fraud & Irregularities in formal Legal Filings as we fight to dismiss this disgraceful Indictment by a publicity & campaign finance seeking D.A., who sadly presides over a record breaking Murder & Violent Crime area, Atlanta. Therefore, the News Conference is no longer necessary!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday evening.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, some of Trump’s closest advisors had asked the former president to cancel the press conference, claiming it could complicate his legal problems.
Meanwhile, multiple sources reported on Friday that Trump plans on skipping the first Republican debate in Milwaukee next week, opting instead to be interviewed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
“As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a ‘wonderful’ field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary. In fact, I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points,” Trump posted. “Reagan didn’t do it, and neither did others. People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate?”
Fox News executives have reportedly been lobbying Trump to participate in the Fox-televised debate, according to The New York Times.
