Federal judge brings hammer down: Trump will have to make trial date 'regardless of his schedule'

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Monday said that Donald Trump will not be given special privileges because he is running for president while facing multiple trials.

At a hearing on Monday, Chutkan said trial dates proposed by Trump and special counsel Jack Smith are not appropriate. Smith offered a trial early in 2024, while Trump wants a date in April 2026.

"Setting a trial date does not depend and should not depend on the defendant's personal and professional obligations. Mr Trump, like any defendant, will have to make the trial date work regardless of his schedule," Chutkan said at Monday's hearing.

The judge compared Trump to a professional athlete and said it would be "inappropriate" to set a trial date to accommodate his schedule.