Former federal prosecutor Cynthia Alksne said Donald Trump’s lawyer John Lauro did the former president no favours whatsoever with his “abominable and embarrassing” behaviour in court when US District Judge Tanya Chutkan was setting a trial date for Trump’s election interference case.
Lauro’s conduct — and refusal “in such a rude way” to suggest another, earlier start date instead of the April 2026 one he had put forward — could actually end up hurting Trump “down the line,” Alksne predicted on Sunday’s episode of MSNBC’s Ayman.
“When a federal judge has to tell you several times to take the temperature down and treat you like a small child on the first day of kindergarten, you have a big problem, a credibility problem,” said Alksne.
“You have a problem in the courtroom that will hurt your client down the line and he did not help Trump in any way with his behaviour,” she added.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024.