Rachel Maddow hilariously mocks Paul Manafort's legal team for already hacking off judge in second trial — before it starts

During the opening to her Tuesday night show, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow hilariously mocked former Trump campaign chairman for having already angered his new judge — and the trial hasn’t even started yet.

The host did a dramatic reading of the court transcripts from the day’s proceedings in the D.C. case. Manafort’s attorneys have already requested a change of venue out of the nation’s capital as well as a delay. Unsurprisingly, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson was not pleased.

“Just to give the court notice we will file this week a motion for change of venue,” attorney Richard Westling said, per the transcript, Maddow read aloud. “We wanted to just give you notice, your honor, and not be in a situation where that came tomorrow or at the end of the week so you would be surprised by it.”

He tried to continue speaking, but the judge cut him off, asking “where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know that I have the answer to that yet, judge,” the lawyer responded. He went on to cite the publicity of the trial as the reason for his requested change of venue.

“I believe that the overwhelming majority of the publicity about this case is national,” the judge continued, adding that although she won’t prejudge the request, it’s unlikely to find a jury unaware of who Manafort is or what his case is about anywhere in the U.S.

The exchange with the judge continued when defense attorneys were found to be having problems filing paperwork when instructed. The defense team was given a long list of exhibits from the government months ago. She told the lawyers she needed their objections by tomorrow (Wednesday). However, the defense said it would be too much of a heavy lift for them.

"It is not going to happen, your honor," the defense said. "I apologize but we got dumped 1,500 exhibits just the other today. 1,500. There's no way. A thousand exhibits, 1,100."

The judge then turned to the prosecutor from the special counsel's office and said, "Well, are they designated which ones are for impeachment and which ones you're actually planning to introduce at the trial?"

It devolved from there. One thing is for certain, according to Maddow, Manafort's team looks like the "Keystone Cops."

Throughout her reading, Maddow laughed and pointed out “the real mystery” — that Manafort and his attorneys elected to have a second trial even though the government gave them the option to forgo one of them.

Watch below, via MSNBC: