I do think it's to say this is all my official capacity. If that was true, then why was he circumventing all of White House counsel's advice?

Why wasn't Pat Cipollone involved? Why wasn't that team involved? Why wasn't DOJ involved?

Instead, Mark recruited outside lawyers who he wanted to listen to.

That's the former chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, weighing in on testimony

from Mark Meadows, Donald Trump's former chief of staff, who spent hours on the witness stand

yesterday in Georgia. And that comes as a date is now set for Donald Trump's federal election interference trial.

We'll have legal analysis on both of these big developments in just a moment.

Plus, new polling on President Joe Biden's re-election bid,

and the major concern that most Americans have about a possible second term.

Good morning and welcome to way too early on this Tuesday, August 29th. I'm Jonathan Lemire.

Thanks for starting your day with us.

We'll begin this morning with a decision that sent waves through the nation's capital yesterday,

a start date for Donald Trump's federal election interference trial.

In Washington, D.C. District Court, Judge Tanya Chuckkin ordered jury selection to begin on March 4th of next year,

just one day before Super Tuesday. Now, prosecutors had asked for the trial to begin in early January

of next year, while Trump's lawyers had proposed that it not start until April of 2026.

Yesterday, Judge Chutkin said that neither of those dates were acceptable,

but that, quote, this case is not going to trial in 26.

The decision was met with pushback in the courtroom from Trump attorney John Laro, who was

cautioned twice by the judge to turn down the temperature when he was speaking.

Laro claimed it was a, quote, violation of the oath to do justice that the former president

be tried so soon, arguing that he would not have enough time to prepare his client's

...