Former President Donald Trump's legal team on Tuesday requested to postpone a hearing a few days beyond a federal judge's deadline in the case related to the 2020 election.
His defense lawyers asked the judge to set the case's first hearing, which will focus on a dispute between Trump and special counsel Jack Smith about the provisions of a protective order, for next Monday or Tuesday after U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan asked that the parties choose a date on or before Friday, Aug. 11.
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Trump, according to a court filing, wanted to have two of his attorneys, John Lauro and Todd Blanche, appear at the hearing. Trump would not be present for it, the filing stated.
Blanche would not be available Thursday because he had to appear in court in Florida in a separate federal case against Trump regarding classified documents, while Lauro could be available Thursday afternoon, the filing said.
"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," Trump's attorneys wrote.
Smith's prosecutors said they could make any time Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday work.
The filing did not clarify why Wednesday and Friday were off the table for Trump. Blanche's firm declined to comment, and Lauro did not respond to a request for comment.
Prolonging the hearing, while only a requested delay of a few days, reflects a broader strategy Trump's legal team has adopted as the GOP front-runner in the 2024 presidential race campaigns for reelection.
In the Florida case, Trump's lawyers pushed for a trial to begin after the 2024 election, contending that selecting an impartial set of jurors would be impossible while Trump was a candidate.
After his first indictment, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the New York Times detailed Trump's delay tactics, which have become a pattern throughout a slew of civil and now criminal cases since he entered politics.
As far as the protective order issue, Trump has argued that Smith is attempting to stifle his First Amendment rights by requesting tight restrictions on speaking about discovery material, as well as restrictions on who has access to the material, which Smith contends is sensitive.
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Late Monday night, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that his top Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden, "now wants Thug Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, to file for a Court Order taking away my first amendment rights, SPEECH."
Trump added, "So, based on yet another Radical Left Hoax, I'll be the only 'Politician' in American history not allowed to SPEAK. THE NEVER ENDING WITCH HUNT CONTINUES."