In a notable development, former Senator Claire McCaskill has suggested an innovative approach to ensure former President Donald Trump’s adherence to a potential gag order in his federal election subversion case. McCaskill proposes to move up Trump’s trial by a week for every violation of the gag order.
The backdrop for this idea was set when Special Counsel Jack Smith sought a restriction on Trump from making provocative statements that might jeopardize witness safety and jury pool integrity.
HuffPost reported on Wednesday, September 20, that McCaskill, during her stint on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” presented her proposal as a countermeasure to Trump’s attempts to delay the trial until after the next election. The trial is presently slated for March 4, 2024, but Trump aims to push it to April 2026.
While the former senator’s suggestion was met with humor on the show, it spurred significant conversation within the legal realm. Timothy Heaphy, the head investigator for the January 6 committee, found merit in McCaskill’s idea, though he speculated Judge Chutkan might not adopt such an extreme measure.
With Trump, a front-runner in the Republican presidential race, concurrently facing multiple indictments, the nation is keenly observing how this legal and political drama will play out.