Trump's Republican Opponents Are Still Refusing To Attack Him — Even After Four Indictments
FiveThirtyEightAug 04, 2023
The Facts
US Special Counsel Jack Smith has opposed a request by Donald Trump and his legal team to remove US District Judge Tanya Chutkan from overseeing the case accusing the former president of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Trump and his team had sent their request on Monday, with Smith responding an hour before the deadline that had been set by Chutkan herself. In the 20-page filing, Smith claimed that there was "no valid basis" for the judge to be removed from the case.
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
It's difficult to argue convincingly whether Trump is winning or losing his plethora of legal battles, as the former president continues to undermine the very essence of any legal process: following the rules. While it is unlikely that Chutkan will be removed, Trump has shown himself willing to go down any viable avenue – regardless of its merit – in order to delay these proceedings.
Pro-Trump narrative
While Chutkan's prejudicial comments against Trump are extraordinary, they are hardly a surprise. A former employee of Boies Schiller, who had previously represented and defended Hunter Biden, Judge Chutkan clearly has conflicts of interest that disqualify her as an impartial judge.
