‘Testing her backbone’: Legal expert suggests Trump's team is goading judge in Jan. 6 case

A legal expert on Tuesday suggested that there’s a purpose behind Donald Trump’s lawyers flouting a judge’s order in the Jan. 6 election conspiracy case.

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said the former president’s legal team was testing Judge Tanya Chutkan's resolve after ignoring the judge’s deadline for a hearing in connection with special counsel Jack Smith’s request for a protective order.

Chutkan had ordered both sides to agree to a date before Friday of this week to discuss the protective order. Smith’s team said it’s available every day this week, but Trump’s lawyers said in court filings they won’t be available on those days and suggested the hearing be held next week.

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“This is so disrespectful – counsel and client seem well suited to each other,” Weissmann wrote on his social media account.

“A criminal case of the utmost seriousness and counsel has time for myriad television interviews. Now cannot find time before Friday for court? Plainly a tactic to try to get the court to commit error.”

Weissmann in a subsequent post suggested the real purpose behind flouting Chutkan’s deadline is to test the judge’s resolve.

“And why can't (Trump attorney Todd) Blanche appear by phone/Zoom on Thursday from FLA; and why do they say they "lost" Friday?” Weissmann said.

“This is simply goading the court to commit reversible error, fodder for recusal motion, and testing her backbone.”