Trump trial date set for March

Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next year’s presidential primary season.

Trump, appearing by video conference at a pretrial hearing in the hush-money case, glowered at the camera as New York Judge Juan Manuel Merchan advised him to cancel all other obligations for the duration of the trial, which could last for several weeks.

Trump, wearing a blue suit against a backdrop of U.S. flags at his Florida estate, then turned to a lawyer by his side — their brief discussion inaudible on the video feed — before sitting with his arms folded for the remainder of the hearing.

Trump had pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at his family company, the Trump Organization, relating to payments made to a former lawyer over hush money payments during the 2016 campaign.

Trump has made the New York case and the long list of other investigations he faces central to his campaign to reclaim the White House, portraying himself as the victim of a co-ordinated effort to sully his chances. Trump often discusses the cases at his rallies and in other speeches, and has repeatedly attacked prosecutors and judges by name.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Merchan reviewed an order barring Trump from publicly disseminating certain evidence turned over by prosecutors.

Trump is allowed to speak publicly about the criminal case, according to Merchan’s order, but he risks being held in contempt if he uses evidence turned over by prosecutors in the pretrial discovery process to target witnesses or others involved in the case or if he disseminates evidence to third parties or posts it on social media.

Prosecutors sought the order soon after Trump’s arrest, citing what they say is his history of making “harassing, embarrassing and threatening statements” about people he’s tangled with in legal disputes.

The former president can speak publicly about the trial, but is not allowed to share evidence with others, including on social media