‘Not something I’m going to consider’: Visibly frustrated judge spars with Trump’s attorney as January 6 case returns to court

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s federal election interference case will not let the 2024 presidential election get in the way of prosecuting the former president, after months of delays over his “immunity” appeal effectively froze the case in Washington DC.

Reconvening in a courtroom for the first time in nearly a year, District JudgeTanya Chutkan held a status conference with federal prosecutors and lawyers for Trump to determine next steps in the case, in which Trump is criminally accused of trying to subvert his election loss and then failing to stop a mob of his supporters who tried to do it by force.

“Life is almost meaningless without seeing you, your honor,” Trump’s attorney John Lauro joked at the start of Thursday’s hearing.

After the Supreme Court ruled that Trump is entitled to some immunity from prosecution for his “official” actions in office, special counsel Jack Smith filed a new indictment last week that sought to downplay any connection between Trump’s “official” duties and his alleged crusade to unlawfully reverse his election loss.

Judge Chutkan repeatedly lambasted Lauro after he argued that it was “unfair” that the case would be moving forward during a “sensitive time” — in other words, during the 2024 election.

“It strikes me that what you’re trying to do is affect the presentation of evidence in this case in a way so as not to impinge on the election of the president,” Judge Chutkan said.

Chutkan, who appeared to grow frustrated with Trump’s attorneys as time went on, said she is not concerned with the “electoral schedule.”

“That’s not something I’m going to consider,” she said.

Chutkan said it would be an “exercise in futility” to set a trial date at this point, noting that any upcoming