Trump requests indefinite delay of document trial date
Lawyers in former President Donald Trump's classified documents case have filed to delay the trial date indefinitely.
If successful, the trial could be pushed back until after the 2024 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers have requested the federal judge overseeing the classified document case to indefinitely postpone the trial date.
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) July 11, 2023
The request
“This extraordinary case presents a serious challenge to both the fact and perception of our American democracy,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
“The court now presides over a prosecution advanced by the administration of a sitting president against his chief political rival, himself a leading candidate for the presidency of the United States,” they contended.
NEW: Lawyers for former Pres. Trump have called for a lengthy delay of his federal trial on charges related to his handling of classified documents, suggesting it would not be possible to try the case prior to the 2024 election. https://t.co/MRBZcDBREb
— ABC News (@ABC) July 11, 2023
The case
"Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation's defense capabilities," ABC News reported.
"Last week, Trump's codefendant, longtime aide Walt Nauta, also pleaded not guilty to six counts related to the case, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements," it added.
See why Trump's legal team is saying this "extraordinary" case should be delayed. https://t.co/dDSfnETbu9
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) July 11, 2023
The consequences
"If the move to delay the case were successful, it could set up a scenario where the former president is in the closing stretch of the 2024 election as the Republican Party’s nominee while still awaiting or about to enter trial on federal criminal charges," CBS 12 News reported.
"Despite his indictment in the documents case, Trump has maintained his status as the overwhelming frontrunner in polling," it continued.
The case is one of several legal disputes facing the former president in recent months.
Trump was found guilty of $5 million in damages related to a decades-old case of sexual assault involving E. Jean Carroll.
The ongoing legal disputes have not stopped his campaign. Despite the lawsuits and attacks from mainstream media, Trump has remained at the top of GOP polls and remains strong in his comeback bid for the White House in 2024 against President Joe Biden.
