Judge sets start date of March 4 for Trump's federal election interference trial

The federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's federal election interference case has ordered the trial to begin on March 4, 2024.

The ruling came after Trump's attorneys and special counsel Jack Smith's team clashed in court Monday over when the case should go to trial.

Smith said in a filing earlier this month that he was prepared to take Trump to trial by Jan. 2, on the grounds that the date would "vindicate the public's strong interest" in a speedy trial.

Trump's lawyers, in contrast, requested that Judge Tanya Chutkan, the federal judge overseeing the case, schedule the trial for April of 2026 -- more than two and a half years from now -- due in part to the extended period of time they said they would need to review the large amount of discovery evidence the government has provided in the case.