Breaking news into CNN.
A federal judge has just set a trial date
for former
President Donald Trump on charges
that he tried to overturn the 2020
presidential election.
March 4th.
2024.
CNN's Evan Perez is outside
the federal courthouse
in Washington, D.C.
He just sprinted out of the courtroom.
Evan take us there.
How did this unfold?
Of course,
this was
quite a heated hearing
from the part of the former
president's lawyers
who were pushing for a much later court
trial date.
They said that the former president
is not going to be able
to get a fair trial
if he is forced to go to trial
in the next few months.
In part,
they say they're buried under millions
and millions of pages
of discovery
from the prosecution, things
that they say they have to go through.
They noted that
at least the lawyers don't
even have their final security
clearances yet
to be able to review
some of the classified information
that they expect
that they're going to be able
to get the judge
pushed back very, very strongly.
She said that the public has a
an interest
and has a right
in a prompt
and efficient resolution
of this of this matter.
She said March 4th for the trial
to get started.
Now, that's
right
before I believe
right before the Iowa caucuses.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Right before the Super Tuesday.
So that obviously
brings up
the political question,
right, for the former president,
because you're looking at a period where,
according to the prosecution,
is going to be four
or five weeks of trial
where he might have to spend his weekdays
sitting here at the federal court
while he goes on trial.
In this case,
the judge,
Judge Tanya Franken, pushed back
strongly when the former president's
lawyers said that
they just don't have the time to prepare
she said.
You know,
I've seen defendants who've had maybe
not not the resources
to have their lawyers prepare for trial.
She noted this is not the case.
John Lauro,
one of the former president's attorneys,
really made a strong
push again, an impassioned plea
for a much later date.
He said what the prosecution was
trying to get
was a show trial, not a speedy trial.
So you see there from the proceedings
here today
that this judge, you know, Judge Chuck
and she was not very patient
with the idea of waiting till 20, 26.
I should note
she said that she had a conversation
with a judge in New York
where the former president
is also facing a criminal trial
related to the hush money payments
there in in New York.
She said she talked to the judge there
because she realized
that it might overlap
with that case there.
Nonetheless,
she said that she was setting this date
and obviously
there's a lot of room between now
and the seven months from now
where the two sides
are going to fight this out
and try to push that date even further,
at least on the part of the former
president, Boris
A major decision by Judge
Chuck in March 4th. 2024.
As you noted, Evan, one day
before Super Tuesday on March 5th,
one of the biggest days
on the primary calendar.
Evan Perez,
thanks so much for breaking that news
to us.
We're joined now by Democratic
strategist and former
executive director for the New York State
Democratic Party
Basil Smikle,
and Republican strategist
and former RNC communications
director Doug Heye.
Doug, I want to start with you because
Donald Trump has a lot of momentum
and he's maintained momentum
as we've seen
all of these legal processes play out.
I have to imagine that
with a trial start date of March 4th
he's going to use that
going into March 5th.
Well, I think
actually by March 5th,
we'll know who the nominee is.
Ultimately, I think this
this primary season comes down
to the Iowa caucuses.
Iowa typically and I've worked in Iowa
running columns for the 2012 caucus.
Iowa typically is what winnows
the field out.
You lose in Iowa, you come in
fourth place, fifth place, or worse,
you drop out.
But if Donald Trump wins
Iowa, it's very clear
then that he's going to have the momentum
going into New Hampshire,
where he's also leading in the polls.
And a Donald Trump
who wins Iowa
and New Hampshire
is not going to be beaten
in the Republican primary.
So, Basil,
let's say that
that continues
seeing the momentum
that Trump still clearly has.
I mean, is he
the person that Biden
and the Democrats want to face again
in 20, 24?
And I want to just show you this
Quinnipiac University poll,
which showed a hypothetical 20,
24 matchup.
Biden and Trump
pretty much neck and neck.
Well, Biden, Trump, 2.0.
I'm not scared of that.
I don't think the Democrats
are scared of that.
Frankly, if you think about
and look at all of those issues
that are still top of mind
for voters,
particularly reproductive rights,
I think those are mobilizing issues.
You know, he's done well on the economy.
He doesn't get the credit
that he should get that.
But he's been great on the economy
in terms of playing defense.
If you will, on those
on those reproductive rights issues
that are now in the states.
I think Democrats
see that as a winning issue.
And frankly,
when you look at the ways
in which independents and disaffected
Republicans came out for Democrats
in 20, 22,
I still think that's
a winning coalition in 20, 24.
But let's say the economy remains
the primary issue.
What would it take for him
to get credit for the economy?
Because you're right he doesn't
he doesn't get credit, at least
with the Americans on polling
I think continuing
to still talk about it.
I don't think he should be speaking
a lot about, you know,
what's happening with Donald Trump,
maybe minimally.
He's the best surrogate
for his own record on the economy.
Continue to do that.
Those are, you know,
for Democrats,
a lot of what we're discussing
is built in
for independents
and Republicans
that want to vote
for Democrats, continue
to talk about those economic issues.
I think they just keep hammering it away.
They've got some really great media buys,
particularly in the
in swing states with voters of color.
That all helps.
The White House has not gone directly
after president
former President Trump
for his legal woes.
And neither have a lot of Republicans.
Doug,
a lot of those folks on the debate stage
last week
raise their hand
saying they would support Donald Trump
even if he was convicted.
Does that change
as we get closer to the primaries?
Well, I would hope it
would, but it probably does.
And everything that we've seen thus
far suggests that it wouldn't.
And it's not just
that they're not criticizing
or going
after or attacking Donald Trump
in a way that they would
any other candidate for any other race.
The reality is when Donald Trump
gets indicted,
not only does it
sort of reinforce
his core message
that the system is rigged
and there's two tiers of justice
and all of that.
But his own opponents
reinforce that language.
If you're running against Donald Trump,
but you back him up,
you're strengthening him.
You're not you're not weakening him.
You're not helping your case
to become president.
But I would say I know that Democrats
look at this race
and think, well, we'll
we'll probably do
pretty well against Donald Trump.
But there's a real reality here
of being careful what you wish for.
That's exactly
what Democrats thought in 2016.
They thought there was no way
that Donald Trump
could beat Hillary Clinton.
And he did.
And we saw what the results were from
that.
I'd tell Democrats,
be really careful
of what you wish for on this.
You're right.
I mean, he's right.
It's there's a good chance
that Donald Trump can win.
And so for Democrats, you can't take
you can't be complacent at all.
I think Hakeem Jeffries
and interestingly enough,
I also think Nancy Pelosi,
they're in a great position
to actually help
make the Democrats case down ballot.
If you think about reproductive
rights, for example.
In many ways,
the Republicans are responding
in the ways they did
with the Affordable Care Act.
They got power.
They got what they wanted.
It didn't have a solution
at the other end, I think.
And you saw that
play out on the GOP debate stage.
So what that gives
is an opportunity
for Democrats
to hit
every Republican on the most draconian
policies
that are being put forth in states
all the way down ballot.
We do that. We stick to the script.
Then I think we have an opportunity
to get more seats back,
particularly in New York and California.
And and I think gives
President Biden a boost.
Doug, as we learn
more about these trial dates
and their set,
Ambassador Bolton made the point earlier
when speaking to Boris that a conviction
might change minds
in a way that investigations
and indictments haven't.
Do you see it that way?
Potentially.
So.
Look, all
those candidates who raised their hand
and said they'd support Donald Trump
if he were convicted,
that's being convicted in theory,
not convicted in practice.
So certainly
you could see
some people peel away from that.
And you could certainly
bet that those were
those voters, independent
voters, soft Republicans,
who voted for Donald Trump in 2016
but then went to Joe
Biden in 2020 indictment
and certainly conviction.
Don't want to go in that
in that direction.
It also highlights
what a lot of the conversation
is going to be.
Basil's telling us
very specifically
what Democrats want to be talking
about Donald Trump's personal
and legal problems
and the issue of abortion.
Notice
they're not talking about the economy.
It's still very rocky ground for Joe
Biden right now.
Looks to continue for a long time.
This is not the terra firma
that they want to be on.
Basil, quickly to you.
Put you on the spot.
You said you were comfortable
with a Donald Trump Joe Biden rematch.
Who do the Democrats not want to face?
Wow. That's a great question.
I can't say that they don't
want to face anyone.
What I would say
is that with anyone on the ballot
and that includes Donald Trump,
there's a chance that
Democrats don't win.
We saw that
turn out in very key areas with key
constituencies was lower
than we wanted it to be in 20, 24.
If those voters don't come out,
if we can't make that case at 20, 24,
it's going to be a problem.
Doesn't matter
who's on the ballot against them.
So it'll be an interesting matchup
regardless of who it is.
Basil Smikle, Doug Heye, thank you both.
We appreciate it.