How Donald Trump's race to the White House overlaps with his legal calendar

The race to the US presidential elections in 2024 has begun. Republican voters took part in the first caucuses of the year on Monday. Iowa got off to a good start for US Republican presidential primary candidates, particularly Donald Trump. He emerged as an overwhelming favourite, winning the Iowa caucuses, the first of the Republican primary season. Florida governor Ron DeSantis finished second, reported NBC News, followed by former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley . Coming in at fourth, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy announced he was ending his presidential campaign and endorsing Trump. For the unversed, Republicans and governing Democrats choose their candidates through caucuses and primaries, respectively. The majority of states in the United States hold primaries, while certain traditional Republican states, like as Iowa, hold caucuses to elect delegates. The convention is voted on by the delegates elected in caucuses and primaries. Democrats will also be organising their own primary, though President Joe Biden is unlikely to face a serious challenge. No incumbent president since the debut of the modern primary system in the 1970s has lost his party’s nomination. There is a rocky road ahead for Trump. The former president is the target of several legal proceedings, two of which include charges of conspiracy against the US, linked to his ongoing and documented efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. Seven of them are expected to result in trials or possible convictions this year, even as Trump will be engaged in the battle for the Republican nomination. Here’s a look at how the 2024 Republican primary overlaps with Trump’s judicial calendar. January, February: Kickoff After Iowa, Trump and his Republican challengers — including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida governor Ron DeSantis — will head to New Hampshire, for its 23 January primary. Nevada votes next on 8 February — the same day that the US Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Trump’s eligibility to appear on the primary ballot in Colorado. [caption id=“attachment_13618452” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Donald Trump is appealing a ruling by Colorado’s highest court that would keep him off the presidential primary ballot in the state because of his role in the Capitol riots carried out by his supporters. AP[/caption] Trump is appealing a ruling by Colorado’s highest court that would keep him off the presidential primary ballot in the state because of his role in the 6 January, 2021, Capitol riots carried out by his supporters. The former president will remain on the ballot in Colorado — which votes 5 March — until the Supreme Court rules otherwise. A date for the expected ruling is not known. March: Primary and judicial calendar accelerates Trump faces a similar challenge to his eligibility in Maine, which also votes on 5 March, in what is referred to as “Super Tuesday,” when 16 states hold primary contests. Each state is worth a certain number of delegates, with states with larger populations — like California and Texas, also voting on Super Tuesday — carrying more. Two weeks later, a slew of states including Ohio, Florida, Illinois and Ohio go to the polls. [caption id=“attachment_13618482” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The general election — in which whoever wins the Republican nomination will almost certainly face Biden — is set for 5 November. AP[/caption] The judicial calendar also picks up in March, with one of Trump’s federal trials opening in Washington on the eve of the Super Tuesday. In that case, opening 4 March, he is charged with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. A state-level criminal trial will round out the month starting 25 March, in New York, where Trump is facing charges over alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels stemming from his 2016 campaign. July: Nominating convention As the primaries continue through the spring, a third trial, in Florida, is set for 20 May, though it will likely be postponed. In that federal case, Trump is charged over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. The last Republican primaries will then wrap up 4 June. Delegates will then vote at the 15-18 July Republican nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — though a presumptive candidate will have already likely emerged before then. Trump’s final criminal trial, a state case in Georgia also related to attempts at subverting the 2020 election results, does not yet have a date. The general election — in which whoever wins the Republican nomination will almost certainly face Biden — is set for 5 November. With inputs from AFP