Top Democratic lawyer Marc Elias says former President Trump's performance in the Washington, D.C., GOP primary should be a major red flag for his legal team.
Elias made the comment Sunday night after former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley defeated Trump in a primary for the first time. While Trump's campaign was largely unconcerned with the defeat, Elias pointed to a reason that it could spell disaster for Trump's legal battles.
"In a city of 700,000, Donald Trump got 676 votes in the GOP primary. A tough jury pool…," Elias hinted.
Trump has complained for the better part of a year that he will struggle to get a "fair trial" in Washington due to the jury pool being biased against him.
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Elias is representative of Democrats who want Trump to face trial in D.C. as quickly as possible, and he pointed to the near-zero support for Trump in the capital's primary as key evidence that they should keep pushing.
"There is no reason Trump can't stand trial in September. There is no reason Trump can't stand trial in October. There is no reason Trump can't be in trial on Election Day. There is no [constitutional] right to avoid trial because you are running for office," Elias wrote on social media last week.
Trump's lawyers had initially tried to move the trial out of Washington last year, arguing just as Elias did that the jury pool in D.C. is tainted against Trump.
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"NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL, OR EVEN CLOSE TO A FAIR TRIAL, IN WASHINGTON, D.C.," Trump posted on Truth Social in August.
"THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, BUT JUST ONE IS THAT I AM CALLING FOR A FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF THIS FILTHY AND CRIME RIDDEN EMBARRASSMENT TO OUR NATION, WHERE MURDERS HAVE JUST SHATTERED THE ALL TIME RECORD, OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES HAVE NEVER SEEN WORSE, AND TOURISTS HAVE FLED. THE FEDERAL TAKEOVER IS VERY UNPOPULAR WITH POTENTIAL AREA JURORS, BUT NECESSARY FOR SAFETY, GREATNESS, & FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE!"
The jury selection process for Trump's D.C. trial appeared to begin in December. At least one D.C. resident shared photos with NBC News showing a notice to appear for a "pre-screening" questionnaire on Feb. 9. The photos went on to indicate that the jury was for a trial on March 4. While the notification did not name the trial, both of those dates lined up with the schedule for Trump's court case prior to a February delay.
