Donald Trump and his attorneys spent much of the weekend attempting to discredit his latest federal indictment and attacking the people involved in it – just days after being arraigned on four federal charges related to his alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
On Truth Social, Mr Trump criticised Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will be overseeing his case, saying he does not think he will get a “fair trial.”
“WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ASKING FOR RECUSAL OF THIS JUDGE ON VERY POWERFUL GROUNDS, AND LIKEWISE FOR VENUE CHANGE, OUT IF D.C.” Mr Trump wrote on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s attorney, John Lauro, went on several network news shows where he argued that the ex-president only exercised his First Amendment right to claim the election was stolen.
Mr Lauro claimed that Mr Trump only asked then-vice president Mike Pence to “pause the counts and allow the states to weigh in” in the days leading up to 6 January.
But Mr Pence disputed this.
“They were asking me to overturn the election,” Mr Pence told CNN. He said attorneys for Mr Trump asked him “outright” to reject votes.
Trump was told not to talk to witnesses in 2020 election conspiracy case. That could be a challenge.