Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has become the first Democrat official to express concern over the timing of the trial dates for President Donald Trump.
Speaking during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Khanna said that the trials shouldn’t “compromise” Trump’s ability to run a campaign in 2024.
Hewitt set the table for the conversation by noting that U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan set the start date for one of Trump’s upcoming trials on the day before the Republican presidential primary’s Super Tuesday.
He continued by asking Khanna to comment on the decision.
After the congressman pointed out that the date could still be moved, Hewitt called the decision a “terrible insult to our idea, our fundamental commitment to fair proceedings.”
The host then wondered aloud if it struck Khanna the same way.
He responded by acknowledging the importance of the trial’s timing in this instance.
“Well, I’m not sure that that’s going to be the actual date at the end of the day,” he said.
“There’s appeals, there’s an ability to move it. I mean, let’s see what happens.
“So, but I’m not, I’m a member of Congress.
“It’s not for me to make the decisions on where the trial dates are going to happen.
“My instinct on all of this is they’re not going to have trials in the middle of something that’s going to compromise a candidate’s ability who has real traction to have a fair fight.
“I just don’t see that happening in our country.”
“I am just amazed that we have four prosecutors who are Democrats running four cases in four different jurisdictions,” said Hewitt.
“I guess Jack Smith is one prosecutor doing two cases, and that blue America doesn’t seem to understand that red America thinks this is a complete setup job.
“Do you understand my concerns about this and how it looks?”
Khanna said:
“Well, look, I talk to, obviously, Republican colleagues, and they feel that the timing of it is one which, where Trump, where the charges are too far.
“I believe that you have to follow the law, and some of the conduct alleged is very, very, very serious.
“And you can’t just say okay, because someone was president or someone is a candidate, that you’re above the law.
“Everyone is under the law, and that these allegations, the evidence needs to be pursued. But what we’re discussing is the timing.
“And I do think we need to make sure that in the timing, if Trump does emerge as the Republican nominee, that it does not compromise the ability to have a robust campaign schedule.
“And I imagine that the courts will take that into consideration if he is the nominee.
“You know, he may not be the nominee.
“I mean, that’s still, that has to be determined,” he said.
