Donald Trump has always done his best to sabotage any attempts to hold him accountable, but with four indictments — plus a looming trial in New York you may have forgotten about — he’s extra-desperate. On Monday, he and his team came for the case involving Jan. 6, making what will almost certainly prove an unsuccessful attempt to get rid of the judge with whom he’s already been tussling.
READ Trump's motion to recuse Judge Chutkan here: https://t.co/T01uheFa86
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) September 11, 2023
That judge is Tanya Chutkan, who’s had to reprimand Trump after he dropped a threatening social media post about those who “go after me.” The former president’s team filed a motion demanding she recuse herself over a statement she made while sentencing a Jan. 6 rioter last fall.
“This was nothing less than an attempt to violently overthrow the government, the legally, lawfully, peacefully elected government, by individuals who were mad that their guy lost,” Chutkan said at the time. “And the people who mobbed the Capitol were there in fealty … not to the ideals of this country; and not to the principles of democracy. It’s a blind loyalty to one person who, by the way, remains free to this day.”
“The public meaning of this statement is inescapable — President Trump is free, but should not be,” reads the filing, which claims this is an “apparent prejudgment of guilt.”
Does the Trump team have a good case here? Not really, say legal experts. “Unsurprising that he would do this,” tweeted former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance. “Seems unlikely to succeed. The case for refusing Judge Cannon in Florida would be far stronger & so far, the govt has not chosen to bring it.”
Unsurprising that he would do this. Seems unlikely to succeed. The case for refusing Judge Cannon in Florida would be far stronger & so far, the govt has not chosen to bring it. https://t.co/q9MSvXtEBC
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) September 11, 2023
Others agreed. “Judge Chutkan’s statements were made at January 6 sentencings, based on evidence in those proceedings,” tweeted lawyer Max Kennerly. “The defendants argued they were following Trump’s instructions, so Judge Chutkan addressed that. Thus, Liteky v. US applies, and the bar for recusal is nearly insurmountable.”
Judge Chutkan's statements were made at January 6 sentencings, based on evidence in those proceedings. The defendants argued they were following Trump's instructions, so Judge Chutkan addressed that. Thus, Liteky v. US applies, and the bar for recusal is nearly insurmountable. https://t.co/N0fswMXUx8 pic.twitter.com/tY4BENkuBf
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) September 11, 2023
Judge Chutkan isn’t the only person Trump’s mad at right now. He also threatened to lock up his many, many enemies, which a psychiatry professor called psychopathic.
(Via Raw Story)