JUST IN: Judge Rejects Trump Delay Tactic — Orders Hearing Friday On Protective Order In Jan. 6 Case

Federal District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected ex-President Donald Trump’s attempt to delay a hearing until next week, beyond the deadline she had set in an earlier order.

On Friday night, Special Counsel Jack Smith reacted to a Trump  Truth social post — which said “If you go after me, I’m coming after you” — by filing a request for a protective order, arguing Trump posts could have a chilling effect on witnesses.

Chutkan ordered Trump’s team to submit a response by Monday, and denied their attempt to delay that deadline until later in the week. Then, the judge ordered each side to submit a proposed hearing date for any day this week, no later than Friday.

Smith and his team said they’d be ready any time Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday — but Trump’s team said they were busy this week and asked to put it off until next week:

President Trump will not appear. However, he would like to have both his counsel John Lauro and Todd Blanche at the hearing. Todd Blanche is not available on Thursday, since he must appear for a court proceeding in the prosecution brought against the same defendant, President Trump, by the Special Counsel in SD Florida. Mr. Lauro is available on Thursday, with a preference for an afternoon setting. However, since we lost Friday as an option, we would respectfully request a setting on Monday (after 12:00 p.m.) or Tuesday (all day) to allow for both Mr. Blanche and Mr. Lauro to be present.

Here’s how that worked out for them:

MINUTE ORDER as to DONALD J. TRUMP: The court hereby schedules a hearing on the parties’ respective protective order proposals in this matter on August 11, 2023 at 10:00 AM in Courtroom 9. The requirement of Defendant’s appearance is waived for this hearing. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 08/08/2023

Trump has not been shy about attacking the judge, but that doesn’t seem to be having an effect on her rulings.

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