Donald Trump's Federal Trial in D.C. Scheduled for March — 2 Years Before His Attorneys Wanted

A federal trial on Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his connection to the January 6th Capitol riots has officially been scheduled for March 4, 2024.

On Monday, August 28, U.S. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan made the ruling declaring the trial's start date to begin just one day before Super Tuesday — the presidential primary election day for the majority of U.S. states.

Federal prosecutor Molly Gaston requested the trial start date be "as soon as possible" because of Trump's constant social media rants about witnesses and evidence related to the case, according to a news publication.

"This potentially prejudices the jury pool," Gaston informed the judge. "And so under the Speedy Trial Act, Your Honor, we need to find a time for trial as soon as the defense can reasonably be ready."

MSNBC reporter Ken Dilanian confirmed Judge Chutkan agreed with the prosecution during the network's José Díaz-Balart Reports broadcast.

"Jose, in a stark repudiation of Donald Trump’s attorneys, Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a trial date for March 4th of next year in this case. That’s the date jury selection would begin,” Dilanian explained, noting, "that’s just two months later than what the prosecution had asked for, but it’s in a world away from the April 2026 timeline that Trump’s attorneys had wanted."

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After the judge declared the trial's start date, Trump's attorney John Lauro had already started to fight back and will likely begin an appeal process, according to Dilanian.

The broadcaster continued: "And immediately after she made her ruling, Trump attorney John Lauro put on the record, he said, 'We will not be able to provide adequate representation. So, there’s no doubt in our judgment that this trial date is inconsistent with President Trump’s right to due process and effective assistance of counsel.'"

"So, laying the groundwork for an appeal there, but legal experts say this is really the judge’s call. This is a tough issue to get overturned in the appeals court. Obviously the Trump team is going to try to do that," his analysis on the ruling concluded.

The Washington Post reported Gaston's statements inside the court room.