![Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds claimed Tuesday on Fox Business that the judge overseeing a federal case against the former president is trying to sway the election by moving the trial timeline. [Screenshot Fox Business]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-29-at-9.34.25-AM-e1693316157891.png "Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds claimed Tuesday on Fox Business that the judge overseeing a federal case against the former president is trying to sway the election by moving the trial timeline. [Screenshot Fox Business]")
Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds claimed Tuesday on Fox Business that the judge overseeing a federal case against the former President Donald Trump is trying to sway the election by setting an early trial date.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the federal case alleging that Trump interfered in the 2020 election, announced Monday that the trial would begin on March 4, 2024, the day before Super Tuesday.
Donalds joined “Mornings with Maria,” where he juxtaposed new allegations against President Joe Biden and his son Hunter with the “attacks” and indictments against Trump. (RELATED: Conservatives Blast ‘Brazen’ Federal Judge Over Trump Trial Date For 2020 Election Charges)
Donalds alleged that then-Vice President Biden was involved in a “shakedown” with foreign governments and that he and his son worked to conceal payments from the IRS.
“Compare that with what they’re doing in federal court and in Georgia with Donald Trump, where they have all these weird conspiracy-laden theories to bring indictments. This is nuts. And what this judge in D.C. is doing is worse, because she actually is playing politics,” Donalds said.
“To be honest with you, Maria, I’ve never seen a court move this fast to bring a trial. The only way I’ve seen it move this fast is if a defendant requests it, but that’s not what occurred here. She wants to interfere in this election and she is using her courtroom to do it,” he said.
Trump’s legal team pushed for an April 2026 start date, while Special Counsel Jack Smith pushed for the trial to begin in Jan. 2024. The judge said the trial date would not be dependent on Trump’s personal or professional obligations but said the court would work around his scheduled trials in other cases.
Trump pleaded not guilty on Aug. 3 in the case Chutkan is overseeing, and has pleaded not guilty in all other indictments as well.
Trump denounced the trial date as “election interference” and said he would appeal the judge’s ruling.