The latest from the courtroom drama, starring none other than ex-President Donald Trump, has reached new levels of intrigue. This Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan laid down the law, making it clear she wasn’t here for any stalling games. When Trump’s legal team tried to hit the brakes on the trial investigating the ex-president’s attempts to challenge the 2020 election results, Judge Chutkan wasn’t having it.
Here’s the sitch: Special Counsel Jack Smith felt Trump was making a media circus of the trial rather than keeping it confined to the courtroom. In other words, he accused Trump of trying to play the case out in the court of public opinion, rather than in an actual court. Team Trump shot back, claiming a protective order would trample on Trump’s First Amendment rights. As you can guess, they weren’t seeing eye-to-eye.
The real kicker? Trump, ever the master of the microphone (or keyboard, in this case), vowed to keep speaking his mind. No surprises there! And his list of targets? It’s extensive, including Special Counsel Smith, Judge Chutkan, Biden’s crew, and even his once right-hand man, Mike Pence.
In an assertive move, Judge Chutkan asked both parties to agree on a hearing date for the week. DOJ? They were game. Trump’s legal squad? Not so much. They were angling for a next-week date. But Chutkan, true to her no-nonsense reputation, penciled in a date for this Friday, in a clear sign she’s not letting this drag on.
If you’ve been glued to Twitter like us, you might’ve caught The Messenger’s Adam Klasfeld highlighting how Chutkan didn’t even acknowledge Trump’s lawyers’ delay request. She just set the date, plain and simple. Talk about asserting dominance!
MSNBC’s Lisa Rubin summed it up perfectly, saying Chutkan “is in charge, and she is making sure everyone knows it.” You go, judge!
Meanwhile, in a twist that surprises absolutely no one, Trump took a swipe at Judge Chutkan on his social media, trying to link her with Hunter Biden. He didn’t stop there, slamming the entire case as a plot by Biden’s “Department of Injustice.”
CNN’s two cents? This is Judge Chutkan’s way of keeping the case on a fast track. Looks like Trump’s usual stall-and-distract tactics just met their match. Stay tuned; this courtroom saga is only getting started.
