Trump will seek a new judge in election conspiracy trial

(Patria) - Former US President Donald Trump said he will ask for a different judge to oversee his trial and for the case to be moved from Washington.

Trump has launched a series of criticisms against those prosecuting him or handling the case in which he faces charges for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and defrauding the United States, AFP reports.

His latest target: District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, appointed by former President Barack Obama, who was randomly assigned to the case in Washington.

"There is no way I can get a fair trial with a judge who was 'assigned' to a ridiculous free speech/fair election case. Everyone knows that, including her," he wrote in all caps on his social media platform Truth.

"We will immediately seek recusal of this judge on very powerful grounds, and also a change of venue for the trial," he continued.

Chutkan (61) is one of a dozen judges on the federal district court in Washington. Her nomination to the bench in 2014 was unanimously approved by the Senate. She has a legal history with Trump, having ruled against him in a case from November 2021 in which she specifically stated that "presidents are not kings."

She has handed down lengthy sentences to Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6 of that year.