ANALYSIS: A trial date has been set for former US President Donald Trump, but it all plays into his campaigning, reports US Correspondent Logan Church.
Today was perhaps the most consequential day so far in Donald Trump’s increasingly complex legal calendar.
A date has been set for his criminal trial in New York, where he’s accused of trying to conceal hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump.
This is a criminal trial - the first one for the former president. Or any former president, for that matter.
“This is a criminal case, and that means that former President Trump will have to be in attendance every day of the criminal trial,” one-time Federal prosecutor Robert Mintz told Reuters.
“It's going to make history one way or the other.”
Trump has been using his various court appearances almost like campaign stops. American’s email inboxes are usually hit with “please donate” emails from the Trump campaign as he’s in the car and on his way. He seemed almost gleeful as he talked to the press outside court.
'It's ridiculous. It's unfair'
But the former president also appeared frustrated today. The trial is expected to take six weeks. And he’s legally bound to be there.
“I think it's ridiculous. It's unfair," Trump told reporters outside court.
"I'll be here during the day, and I'll be campaigning during the night. And Biden should be doing the same thing, but he'll be sleeping,” he added, in an uncharacteristically weak jab at his political rival.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s legal team were attempting to get the prosecutor removed from the case... oh, wait, not this case. Sorry I was getting confused. That’s another one – more than a thousand kilometres away in Atlanta, Georgia. Happening at EXACTLY THE SAME TIME.
There, Trump’s accused of attempting to overturn the legitimate 2020 election results in that state.
And just to make it worse/better, depending on your perspective, the case has been rocked by the most American of things ever – an old-fashioned sex scandal.
It emerged two prosecutors were in a romantic relationship, and questions emerged (well, Trump raised them) about whether there were inappropriate financial exchanges between the two.
The courtroom there was also packed for a hearing today, especially as the prosecutor Fani Willis, who laid the charges against the former president and is also at the centre of this scandal, took to the stand.
It led to some fiery questioning.
“You and Mr Wade met in October 2019 at a conference?” asked defence attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
“That is correct,” Willis replied. “And I think in one of your motions, you tried to implicate I slept with him at that conference, which I find to be extremely offensive.”
It got even weirder later on.
“Has he ever visited you at the place you laid your head?” asked Merchant
The gloves came off.
“So let's be clear because you lied in this, in this, let me [show you] which one you lied in,” said Willis, waving around pieces of paper. "Right here. I think you lied right here. No, no no, no! This is the truth, judge. This is a lie.”
Beamed live across the world
All of this, of course, broadcast live on national television and streamed on social media to millions of people across the country and the world.
The goal for Trump’s team aim is to delay the case by having Willis removed – at least past the November election.
But hang on, we're only halfway there.
Next month a trial was expected to get underway in Washington DC where Trump is facing charges in relation to the events of January 6, 2021 when hordes of Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol building to try and stop the vote count from being verified.
That’s now expected to be rescheduled.
And then in May, Trump’s on trial in Florida, fighting charges he kept classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago estate.
All together, it adds up to more than 90 criminal charges – and we haven’t touched on the civil cases.
The result of this is an election campaign like no other. Trump is winning by a huge margin in the fight for the Republican nomination. In some national polls, he’s winning against Joe Biden. There is also a reasonable chance he could be imprisoned.
For the average voter, this is all hellishly confusing.
For the most astute political observer, this is hellishly confusing.
Trump’s got a very good chance of being the next leader of the free world. And running it from prison.
Many Republicans I’ve chatted to on the campaign trail simply don’t care, they believe Trump will make them safer and richer.
What a mess.
But it’s a mess all Americans - and the rest of the world - will have to endure, with about nine months to go until the election.
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