Donald Trump timeline: Ex-president juggles 2024 campaign and criminal trials

The National previews coming election milestones and court dates

Former US president Donald Trump will have a busy schedule, as a 2024 presidential hopeful and defendant in several cases. AFP

Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom on Monday, a key date in the former US president's packed 2023-24 calendar.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused Mr Trump of overinflating his assets to receive favourable loans in return.

It is a logistical nightmare unique to Mr Trump, who faces a slew of legal challenges while simultaneously campaigning to win the Republican Party's nomination to run for president in the 2024 election.

The National takes a look at his schedule:

August 3, 2023: Arraignment in the 2020 election case

August 23: First Republican presidential primary debate

August 28: First hearing in the federal 2020 election case

Mr Trump is dealing with a federal case, led by special counsel Jack Smith, on charges related to heading a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and his role in the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021.

The first hearing of that criminal case is scheduled for August 28 in Washington. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Trump is currently the leading Republican candidate for the party's nomination in the coming 2024 presidential election; however, he has said he will skip the first presidential primary debate.

September 27: Second Republican primary debate

October 2: Trial in Trump Organisation civil fraud lawsuit

Mr Trump has not committed to any debates, while the Republican Party's primary events continue into the autumn.

The trial in the New York civil lawsuit against Mr Trump, some of his adult children and the Trump Organisation for fraud is scheduled to begin on October 2.

If convicted, the state's attorney general wants to issue a fine of $250 million, as well as ban Mr Trump and his children from ever operating businesses in New York again.

January 15, 2024: E Jean Carroll civil defamation suit trial

January 15: Iowa Republican caucuses

January 29: Trial in pyramid scheme class action lawsuit

Mr Trump's new year will start with a bang as two trials begin and a major early campaign event takes place.

A new trial will begin, involving writer E Jean Carroll on a second defamation charge against Mr Trump. A New York jury found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming her in a May 2023 decision. He was ordered to pay her $5 million.

Mr Trump made more comments about Ms Carroll during a CNN town hall event shortly after the ruling, leading her to file new defamation charges, which has resulted in a January 15 trial hearing.

The Iowa Republican caucuses will take place on the same day – a major bellwether in the campaign as it is the first caucus to take place in the nation.

A New York court will also hold a trial on a class-action lawsuit against Mr Trump and the Trump Organisation over what some claim to be a pyramid scheme.

March 5: Super Tuesday primaries

March 25: Scheduled start for trial in New York hush-money case

March will be a busy month for Mr Trump, with the campaign heating up as another trial begins.

Super Tuesday in March features the largest number of primary votes across several US states on a single day.

It helps to show how strong support is for candidates running for respective party nominations, and those who do not do well often drop out around the time of Super Tuesday, narrowing the campaign field.

A New York criminal case will go to trial in late March. It focuses on dozens of felony charges in which Mr Trump is accused of leading a hush-money scheme that involved covering up illegal payments his lawyer made to an adult film star and others in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty.

May 20: Start of trial in classified documents case in Florida

Another federal trial will begin in May, this time in a criminal case against Mr Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents after his presidency ended.

He and several co-conspirators face dozens of charges, including illegally keeping national security secrets and obstruction of justice. He also pleaded not guilty in this case.

July 15: Republican National Convention

The campaign comes down to the party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where a nominee will be chosen for the US presidential ticket.

November 5: Election Day

If Mr Trump is chosen as the party nominee for the election, he will face off against the Democratic nominee, which will almost certainly be President Joe Biden.