KUALA LUMPUR: As I was writing my previous column article for this esteemed newspaper, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines was beginning his state visit to Malaysia. The willingness to undertake a foreign visit the very next day after his State of the Nation Address to a joint session of the Congress testified amply to President Marcos view and, by extension that of his administration of the crucial importance of the bilateral relationship with Malaysia. This is because after such an important national address, a president would typically embark upon a nationwide tour to explain in more detail and to elicit reactions from the citizens at large, as I noticed American presidents typically do so after their State of the Union addresses. I am sure after returning home to the Philippines, President Marcos would engage extensively with the Philippine populace on his forthcoming policies as laid out in his latest State of the Nation Address.
the 2020 election. the former president responded though with a very familiar argument. very unfair. very unfair situation. why did they do it two years ago. why didn t they do it like when it would have been, you know, timely. but there is no timely. they did it because it is election interference. they did it right in the middle of my campaign. that is called election interference and it is called weaponization of the justice system. there has never been anything like this. there is that. but also last week a federal judge said a mayh trial date for trump in the other case he faces on classified documents. so that means that he ll spend next year campaigning not just for president but also foris freedom. there are w three trials scheduled for the first half of the next year as republican voters are deciding who is their presidential nominee. that is a nightmare scenario for republicans. trump could be convicted of federal crimes after winning the primaries.
implicit for him to now launch. he also had an interview with the right-wing channel news max and was questioning the timing of a potential indictment by the special counsel probing the election interference. here s what he said i hear they want to indict me in this one. why didn t they do it two years ago? why didn t they do it like when it would have been timely? but there is no timely. they did it because it s election interference. they did it right in the middle of my campaign. part of the reason this has taken so long is because of how long trump took in not turning over documents. what do you think of what he s saying there? no, sorry back to the election there is on the election interference. what do you make about that? on the election interference one? you know, we saw the january 6th
happening overnight, the deadline came and went for the former president s team to respond to the target letter from special counsel jack smith. cnn has learned that jack smith s investigation continues. he s lining up witnesses to speak with investigators in the interference probe and one former trump attorney is among them. here s what trump said about a potential indictment last night. all of a sudden i hear they want to indict me on this one. why didn t they do it with two years ago? why didn t they do it like when it would have been, you know, timely? but there is no timely. they did it because it s election interference. they did it right in the middle of my campaign. with us now is cnn s katelyn pol polantz. so katelyn, what are we to make of the fact that jack smith is still talking to witnesses, he s still scheduling interviews? where does the investigation stand? well, abby and phil, it s a great question. where we are right now is that
may he rest in peace. thanks. now to breaking news on the investigations surrounding former president donald trump. a short time ago, a federal judge, aileen cannon, ruled trump and co-defendant walt nauta s trials will begin on the 20th of may, 2024. this came hours after the former president spoke out again about his legal woes after the deadline for him to appear before the grand jury investigating interference in the 2020 election came and went. all of a sudden i hear they want to indict me on this one. and why didn t they do it two years ago? why didn t they do it, like, when it would would have been, you know, timely? but there is no timely. they did it because it s election interference. they did it right in the middle of my campaign. that s called election interference and it s called weaponization of the justice system. with us to talk more about this, nbc news correspondent