Donald Trump’s lawyer confirms speculation that if the former president is reelected, the criminal trial against him in Fulton County, Georgia, will not proceed as planned.
Trump stands accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, a state that President Joe Biden won by a slim margin. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him, while four of his 18 co-defendants in the case accepted plea deals.
Trump’s lawyers have been pushing to delay multiple criminal trials that are scheduled to start next year when the race to the White House ramps up.
During a motion hearing before Judge Scott McAfee on Friday, Trump’s lawyers reiterated their opposition to starting the trial in August 2024, which is what prosecutors are pushing for, as it could get in the way of his campaign schedule. Meanwhile, prosecutors argue that the trial would not impede Trump’s ability to campaign.
Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images
Some believe Trump is only running for office to protect himself from legal peril.
George Conway, a conservative attorney who is a vocal critic of Trump, told host Charlie Sykes on an episode of The Bulwark Podcast that Trump “is running for his life. He is running for his freedom.”
Meanwhile, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is running against Trump for the Republican nomination, but did not qualify for the third primary debate, said that Trump may attempt to pardon himself if he is reelected and convicted of criminal charges.
“I could certainly see Donald Trump doing that. That’s exactly what he would intend if he got elected president. And if [his case] was not brought to trial before then, he’s likely to issue that as well,” Hutchinson told ABC’s This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl in June.
Friday’s hearing in Fulton County seemed to confirm suspicions that Trump may try to dodge criminal charges if he wins reelection, at least until he leaves the presidency.
Trump’s lawyer, Steven Sadow, told Judge McAfee that the supremacy clause of the Constitution would prevent the trial from proceeding while Trump was holding office.
Joyce Vance, who served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama during the Obama administration, shared the news on X, formerly Twitter.
“And, here it is: Fulton County Judge McAfee: If your client wins the presidency, can this case be tried?
“[Steven] Sadow (Trump’s lawyer): I believe under the Supremacy clause this trial would not take place at all until he left the WH,” Vance said.
Newsweek reached out to Sadow via email for comment.
McAfee has not made a decision on the trial schedule yet and said, “I think that’s obviously something we’re going to be taking up in greater detail in the new year.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.