Trump has expanded his criticism from Special Counsel Jack Smith to now include Judge Tanya Chutkan, intensifying his verbal assaults as the trial approaches.
Trump posted on Truth Social:
THERE IS NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL WITH THE JUDGE “ASSIGNED” TO THE RIDICULOUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH/FAIR ELECTIONS CASE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS, AND SO DOES SHE! WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ASKING FOR RECUSAL OF THIS JUDGE ON VERY POWERFUL GROUNDS, AND LIKEWISE FOR VENUE CHANGE, OUT IF D.C.
There are several factors making Trump wary of a trial in DC. Being a diverse city with a significant Democratic-leaning, DC presents a challenge for Trump in terms of media narratives. Its status as a hub for political journalism makes it harder for Trump’s team to control the trial’s narrative. A crucial point to note is that DC is a majority-minority city. In the 2020 elections, Biden and Harris secured a whopping 92% of the vote there.
The implication here is that Trump may have reservations about a non-white majority jury, which many view as both racially insensitive and a misjudgment of the American populace. Trump seems to be under the impression that he can only obtain a fair trial in regions where he secured a victory.
However, the alleged offenses Trump is being tried for occurred in Washington, DC. So, it’s reasonable to ask why the case should be relocated. Bias does not warrant a change of venue.
Continuous attacks on the prosecution and the presiding judge could potentially result in a gag order for Trump. Any violation of such an order might lead to further complications, even placing him in custody with those he’s alleged to have influenced into taking extreme actions on January 6th.