A US judge has set a March 4, 2024, trial date for Donald Trump's federal case in Washington on charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan denied Mr Trump's request to push back the trial date to 2026. Special counsel Jack Smith had requested an earlier date in January 2024.
“These proposals are obviously very far apart,” she said. “Neither of them is acceptable.”
“The public has a right to prompt and efficient resolution of this matter.”
Mr Trump was not in court for Monday's hearing, but later posted on Truth Social that he "will appeal".
Legal experts told Reuters that a trial court's scheduling decision is not a legitimate basis for an appeal prior to a verdict being reached.
The Republican presidential candidate also called Ms Chutkan a "biased, Trump-hating judge" in his post.
His lawyer John Lauro condemned the trial start date as an “outrage to justice” and at times raised his voice during the hearing, Bloomberg reported.
Ms Chutkan at one point asked Mr Lauro to “take the temperature down”.
The former president has pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction.
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Should there be no delays, the trial date would arrive a day before Super Tuesday, when voters in more than a dozen states will choose the Republican presidential candidate.
“Mr Trump will have to make the trial date work, regardless of his schedule,” Ms Chutkan said before setting the March 4 trial date.
He holds a commanding lead over his rivals for the party's nomination.
The United States v Trump case is one of four that Mr Trump faces.
Mr Trump faces an additional federal case in Miami over allegedly illegally holding on to classified documents after leaving office in 2021.
The former president is also the subject of a state criminal case in New York over alleged hush money paid to an adult film star during the 2016 election, and a separate criminal case in Georgia over attempts to overturn the state's 2020 electoral results.
Mr Trump's arraignment in the Georgia election case has been scheduled for September 6. He is expected to plead not guilty.
Co-defendants Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and John Eastman's arraignments are scheduled after his.
The remaining 15 co-defendants in that case have been scheduled that day as well.
However, Mr Meadows has been in legal proceedings to try to move the case to federal court with the argument that he acted under the Office of the President in Washington.
Moving the case to federal court may be more favourable as federal law prohibits states from prosecuting the activities of US officials carrying out their duties.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis requested a trial date in October, although that is expected to be challenged by Mr Trump's team.
He is also expected to request the case be moved to federal court.
