Trump labels Judge Tanya Chuktan as 'the most wicked individual' in reference to the election case.

• In Washington, D.C., the federal judge presiding over Donald Trump's criminal election interference case was labeled "the most evil person" by Trump.
• On the Dan Bongino podcast, Trump criticized Judge Tanya Chutkan for issuing an order to release nearly 1,900 pages of previously concealed documents submitted by special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutors.
• In November's election, the Republican nominee for president, Trump, will go up against the Democratic nominee and current vice president, Kamala Harris.

On Friday, Donald Trump described the judge presiding over his criminal election interference case in Washington, D.C., as "the most evil person" after the judge ordered the release of nearly 1,900 pages of previously sealed documents filed by prosecutors.

Trump accused Judge Tanya Chutkan of making the files public to harm the Republican presidential nominee's chances in November's election.

Trump stated on Dan Bongino's podcast that the current situation is terrible and the judge involved is the most evil person.

"What judge would say 'we're going to release something, you know, a couple of days before?' " the former president inquired.

Chutkan made public the filings by special counsel Jack Smith, whom Trump called "a sick puppy," and Trump said it was "not even believable."

"Trump stated that they would release something else before the election, which he believed was an attempt to interfere with the election."

Trump has been accused by Smith of committing crimes during his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden.

On Thursday, Chutkan rejected the argument by Trump's lawyers that the documents should be released after the November presidential election, where the Republican faces the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the current vice president.

Trump's lawyers argued that disclosing the records prior to the election could be perceived as interference.

Trump's request for a delay, according to Chutkan, could potentially harm the public interest.

Withholding information from the public due to potential political consequences could be considered election interference, according to Chutkan.

Trump has repeatedly accused the government of bad-faith partisan bias.

"The judge wrote that the defense's focus on political rhetoric rather than addressing legal issues is unresponsive, unhelpful, and unbefitting of experienced defense counsel, undermining the judicial proceedings in the case."

Trump's lawyer, John Lauro, did not provide an immediate comment on Trump's description of the judge.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Smith, declined to comment.

In a filing responding to Trump's lawyers about proposed redactions to the documents being released, Smith's office stated that the defendant's opposition is based on a standard and unsupported claim that the government's position is motivated by improper political considerations.

The allegation is false, as it was when the Court rejected the defendant's motion to dismiss the case due to selective and vindictive prosecution, according to prosecutors.

In 2019, Trump made remarks about Chutkan, a year after a gag order was imposed on him and others in the case, which prohibited them from making any public statements targeting Smith or his staff, defense lawyers, or court staff.

"These proceedings cannot be jeopardized by statements made by the defendant, even if they are running for president," Chutkan wrote.

The gag order did not bar Trump from making comments about Chutkan herself.

In December, a federal appeals court upheld the gag order but modified its conditions, stating that Trump should not be prohibited from making personal comments about Smith.