Lawyers representing Donald Trump have requested a significant delay of several years for a trial in Washington. The trial pertains to charges that the former president conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election. While the Justice Department recommended a trial date of January 2, 2024, Trump’s legal team proposed an alternative start date in April 2026.
The final decision regarding the trial date lies with U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is expected to determine a tentative schedule during a court hearing set for August 28.
Trump’s lawyers argue that the extensive nature of the case and the massive volume of information—approximately 11.5 million pages—that needs reviewing necessitate a delay lasting several years. To meet the Justice Department’s proposed trial date, they would need to review about 100,000 pages per day.
In an effort to illustrate the magnitude of the document review process, Trump’s defense lawyers provided a vivid metaphor. They stated that if the 11.5 million pages were printed and stacked without any gaps, at a rate of 200 pages per inch, the resulting paper tower would stretch nearly 5,000 feet into the sky. This height exceeds that of the Washington Monument, stacked on top of itself eight times, with nearly one million additional pages remaining.
This request for a delay comes at a time when Trump’s calendar for 2024 is already expected to be filled with court dates and campaign appearances. He faces both a presidential primary season and four criminal cases across four different cities.
One of those cases, scheduled for March 25, pertains to an alleged hush money payment to a porn actor and is set to take place in New York state. In Fulton County, Georgia, where Trump faces charges for attempting to overturn the state’s presidential election results, prosecutors have proposed a trial date of March 4. However, it is likely that this date will be postponed due to the complexity of the sprawling racketeering case involving 19 defendants.
Additionally, a federal judge in Florida has set a trial date of May 20 for charges against Trump related to the illegal hoarding and concealment of classified documents.