Trump asks judge to schedule his federal election interference trial for 2026

Former President Donald Trump's legal team has requested that the judge overseeing his federal 2020 election interference case schedule his trial for April of 2026 -- more than two and a half years from now.

In contrast, special counsel Jack Smith last week requested D.C. district judge Tanya Chutkan schedule Trump's trial for this coming January, arguing it would "vindicate the public's strong interest" in a speedy trial.

"In this District, ordinary order when faced with such overwhelming discovery is to set a reasonable trial schedule, commensurate with the size and scope of discovery and complexity of the legal issues," Trump's attorneys argued in their filing Thursday.

"The government rejects this sensible approach. Instead, it seeks a trial calendar more rapid than most no-document misdemeanors, requesting just four months from the beginning of discovery to jury selection," they said in the filing. "The government's objective is clear: to deny President Trump and his counsel a fair ability to prepare for trial."

Chutkan will hear arguments from both sides at a status conference on Aug. 28.