A critical day in court for Trump and his co-defendants

Monday looks to be a very important day in court when it comes to the prosecution of Donald Trump and others involved in attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump may not be appearing personally this morning, but the outcome may determine when he has to show up for trial. And in the case of the indictments in Fulton County, Georgia, the outcome today may decide whether a trial happens at all.

In Federal District Court in Washington, Judge Tanya Chutkan will be considering two very different dates for Trump’s trial on indictments handed up by a federal grand jury. Special counsel Jack Smith has asked for a date in October. Meanwhile, Trump’s attorneys want to delay the start date all the way until the middle of 2026 to maximize the opportunity for Trump to pardon himself, or for some other Republican to do so, or for Republicans in Congress to figure out a way to impeach everyone who isn’t Trump.

But what’s happening in another federal courtroom, this one in Atlanta, may be even more important. That’s where U.S. District Judge Steve Jones will hear arguments from Mark Meadows’ attorneys that the indictment against Meadows should be moved from Georgia state court to federal court. Should Meadows succeed, the motion could fragment the case prepared by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, or potentially prevent many of the defendants from being tried at all.