Judge is 'interfering in the 2024 election by selecting this date,' one X user wrote
Trump Jan. 6 trial will take place during 2024 primaries, judge rules
A new trial date has been set for Trumps trial in the federal election case, which is in the middle of the 2024 primary elections.
Conservatives were outraged Monday after the federal judge presiding over Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against former President Trump alleging interference in the 2020 presidential election set the trial date for March 4, 2024 – right in the middle of the GOP presidential primary calendar.
U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Tanya Chutkan rejected a proposal by Trump’s defense team that the trial begin in April 2026— long after the 2024 presidential election. She instead set the date far closer to one proposed by Smith and the government, who wanted the trial to begin on Jan. 2, 2024.
Trump is the first former president in United States history to face criminal charges and the trial being set in the middle of the primary cycle is already causing a political firestorm. Radio host Buck Sexton asked, "Is the timing of it to scuttle Trump’s chances? Is it that they think they can ensure Trump is the nominee and then they can scuttle him with the legal process?"
TRUMP JAN. 6 TRIAL TO BEGIN MARCH 4, AMID GOP PRIMARIES
The federal judge presiding over Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against former President Trump alleging interference in the 2020 presidential election set the trial date for March 4, 2024. ((Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images))
Many rushed to social media to express concern and disgust, often referring to the decision as election interference.
"Joe Biden’s justice department is trying to put Trump in prison for the rest of his life with a trial date set in the middle of the primaries, direct election interference," OutKick founder Clay Travis wrote.
"If an Obama judge setting Trump's court date as the day before Super Tuesday isn't election interference, then I don't know what is," Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell wrote.
"Chutkan is interfering in the 2024 election by selecting this date which lands just one day before Super Tuesday," Trending Politics’ Collin Rugg posted on X.
"Here are all the states holding their primaries on Super Tuesday: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia," he continued. "They're interfering in the election in plain sight."
Republican Florida congressman and Trump supporter Byron Donalds said "Chutkan should be thrown off the bench and run for DNC Chair."
"Their attempts to interfere with the 2024 presidential election are so brazen it's disgusting," Rep. Donalds wrote.
Indiana GOP Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for Senate, called it a "total sham."
Sovren Media CEO Ben Swann wrote, "Nothing suspicious here, it’s all just coincidence that Trump’s trial begins one day before Super Tuesday."
BIDEN ANGERS SOCIAL MEDIA USERS WITH REFUSAL TO OFFER DETAILS ABOUT HIS TRIP TO HAWAII: ‘BUFFOON’
Former President Trump remains the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)
"DC blatant corruption at its finest," author Matthews Betley wrote.
"So much democracying here: The Fulton, GA DA wanted the trial to start a day before Super Tuesday. It didn't work out, so now the federal J6 case is set for this date," pundit Yossi Gestetner wrote.
Meanwhile, many liberals appeared to take pleasure in the decision.
Democrat strategist Max Burns wrote, "Truly, a super Tuesday."
"HAHA, Judge Chutkan says hell no you can't push this trial off to 2026, sets March 4, 2024 as the date. Black women are giving trump hell, and I love it," BrooklynDad_Defiant wrote.
"I said on the podcast this morning: if she picked a date in January or February, it meant Trump is effed. This is within four days of February. He's effed," former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann wrote.
TRUMP SAYS TAKING MUGSHOT WAS ‘NOT A COMFORTABLE FEELING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG'
"Just want to take this moment to thank Judge Chutkan for always showing us how Justice is done," Victor Shi, who was the youngest elected Delegate for Biden in 2020, wrote.
Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin added, "Trump is so screwed."
Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
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Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
