The trial dates set by the prosecution for the four indictments brought against former President Donald Trump all happen to coincide with major Republican primary contests in 2024.
Trump was most recently charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis late Monday for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. The former president’s indictments will be tried in court over the course of January to May, aligning almost exactly with the 2024 primary schedule.
Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump in early June over the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. The prosecution proposed a Jan. 2 start date for the trial, just ahead of the first-in-the-nation nominating contest — Iowa’s Jan. 15 caucus.
Willis scheduled the fourth indictment trial date for March 4, the day prior to Super Tuesday and a week before Georgia’s primary. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia will hold their presidential preference contests on March 5, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg handed down Trump’s first indictment in late March, where he was charged for allegedly falsifying business records when reimbursing a hush money payment. The prosecution set a trial date for March 25, days after six states hold their nominating contests, including Florida, which has nearly the same amount of delegatesthan all four key early primary states combined.
Smith also indicted Trump on Aug. 1 over the former president’s alleged involvement in Jan. 6 and alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump will go to trial on May 20, the day prior to Kentucky and Oregon’s primaries, and just days ahead of the final primaries on June 4 — Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
The Republican National Committee will meet for its convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15 to July 18, 2024, to name the GOP nominee.
The former president’s support has only grown with each indictment, with Trump currently receiving 54.7% support compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 14.8%, according to the RealClearPolitics (RCP) average for a 2024 national GOP primary. In the two months prior to the first charges, the margin between Trump and DeSantis was much smaller, with the RCP indicating the former president was polling roughly 13 points ahead on Feb. 25.
Trump is also ahead by double digits in all four key early primary states — in Iowa by 26 points, in New Hampshire by 40 points, in Nevada by 30 points and in South Carolina by 32 points, according to FiveThirtyEight’s survey compilation.
Trump did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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