Former Attorney General Bill Barr countered suggestions that pending trials for ex-President Trump could impact the 2024 elections, labeling such views as “baseless.”
“It’s a fundamental tenet in our justice system that one’s status or intent to run for office doesn’t grant them a shield from prosecution,” Barr commented on Fox News’s “America Reports.” “If there’s ample time for a resolution prior to the election, it ought to be settled.”
When presented with a video of GOP presidential contender and Trump detractor, Chris Christie, remarking on how Trump’s actions and persistent presidential ambitions could affect the primaries, Barr concurred with Christie, labeling such beliefs as “nonsensical.”
“Consider if a mayor, facing serious embezzlement charges, said, ‘Let’s delay this since the election is 18 months away.’ It’s preposterous,” Barr observed, noting his service under Trump but later distancing himself due to disagreements on election integrity.
Recently, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan scheduled Trump’s D.C. trial for March 4, just before Super Tuesday. Trump’s legal team had lobbied for an April 2026 date.
This trial in D.C. is one of three set to occur during the 2024 primaries. A fourth proceeding in Georgia remains pending.
On March 25, Trump faces a trial in Manhattan concerning an alleged payoff scheme preceding the 2016 election. This takes place shortly after the Louisiana primary and a week ahead of the primaries in Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Another trial related to Trump’s purported mishandling of confidential papers post-presidency is marked for May 20 in Florida, a day ahead of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries.
Trump has advocated for deferred trial dates, reasoning that his increasing legal challenges might disrupt his campaign engagements.
