Amidst the high-stakes trial of former President Donald Trump, Federal District Judge Tanya Chutkan has found herself under the spotlight not just for presiding over the case, but also for the increased security measures that have been put in place around her. NBC News Justice Correspondent Ryan Reilly has shed light on the necessity for these enhanced security precautions, citing concerns over Trump’s history of public animosity towards Black women who find themselves on his radar.
The spotlight on Judge Chutkan’s security began when CNN reporters noted the heightened security detail around her, which they linked to social media attacks launched by ex-President Donald Trump. The situation garnered further attention when it was reported by NBC News that Judge Chutkan was seen accompanied by an unusually large security contingent as she went about her routine activities, including getting coffee in the federal courthouse cafeteria.
During an episode of MSNBC’s José Díaz-Balart Reports, Ryan Reilly provided insight into the circumstances surrounding the extra security measures. He highlighted that Judge Chutkan had been seen with a team of three US marshals around the courtroom, emphasizing the heightened state of vigilance in light of her role in the trial proceedings.
Reilly pointed out the unique and complex nature of the situation, where high-profile individuals, including former President Trump, are directly involved in legal proceedings within the courthouse. He noted that Trump’s focus on Judge Chutkan and her role in the trial had prompted concerns regarding her safety.
Drawing a connection to Trump’s past behavior, Reilly highlighted the former president’s tendency to direct hostility towards Black women who oppose or challenge him. This pattern of behavior raises concerns about potential racist and sexist reactions that could target Judge Chutkan, given her role in a case involving Trump. Reilly cited examples of similar reactions in previous cases, particularly those related to the January 6 insurrection.
JOSE DIAZ-BALART: And Ryan. Meanwhile, NBC News has learned that extra security precautions have been put in place around the judge in the election interference case in Washington?
RYAN REILLY: That’s right. Our own Daniel Barnes spotted Judge Chutkan being accompanied by three US marshals around the courtroom. Last week, actually, the day that Donald Trump had his court appearance when Judge Chutkan wasn’t yet in charge, she was assigned to the case but was not yet overseeing the case. She was just sort of going around as normal inside the courtroom, obviously, with a few more extra sets of eyes on her.
It’s just this very unique situation where you have these very high profile people just sort of circulating around the court. But now she does appear to have additional security.
And I think that’s really critical because, of course, you’ve seen already Donald Trump put some focus on her. And frankly, you know, the fact that she’s a Black woman is something that’s going to be very critical here, because you’ve seen the sort of ire that Donald Trump has pointed towards, particularly women of color, who have, sort of cross him or who have brought charges against him in the past. So that’s going to be something that we’ve seen in other cases.
In January 6 cases I’ve seen, it’s been a very, you know, sort of racist reaction to that. And I think that that’s something that you really have to watch out for in the aftermath of this. There’s going to be a lot of particular scorn, I think, focused on her just based on what we’ve seen in the past and the focus that Donald Trump is putting on her at this moment.
