Despite the El Nino-related weather disturbances affecting key agricultural areas globally and the disruptions in the Black Sea stemming from the war in Ukraine, there is encouraging data suggesting further easing in food inflation in the new year. This development comes amid the soaring risks of food riots in emerging markets, as the weakening of EM currencies against the dollar has made staple foods increasingly more expensive for poorer populations worldwide. 

Bloomberg data shows corn and wheat prices have recorded their largest annual declines in a decade. This is primarily because of bumper crops in key ag regions and might lead to further easing of food inflation into the first half of 2024. 

Corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade plunged 31% this year, and wheat contracts fell 21% – the largest annual declines since 2013. Soybeans were down 15%. This led the Bloomberg Grains Spot Subindex to slide 22.8%. This is good news for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization World Food Price Index, which has already come off record highs. 

“The rout was driven by bumper crops in key crop suppliers Brazil, US and Russia following years of disruptions caused by extreme weather, the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine that pushed prices to record highs in 2022,” Bloomberg wrote in a note, adding, “Lower prices for staple grains could bring down the cost of bread and make it less expensive to feed livestock, dairy herds and even biofuels. Analysts are anticipating even lower prices for corn and soybeans in 2024, while wheat is expected to rebound amid tighter supplies.” 

However, there is still uncertainty about whether global food prices will decrease swiftly enough to prevent food riots in EM countries. The current food price levels are comparable to those that sparked the Arab Spring riots in the Middle East in 2010.

Sara Menker, founder and CEO of Gro Intelligence, warned last month in an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum in Singapore that the current food crisis surpassed the one in 2007-08. She explained this is mostly because of elevated crop prices and steep declines in local currencies against the dollar. 

Authored by Josh Hammer via The Epoch Times,

The calendar turns to 2024, and the world under President Joe Biden’s watch is burning.

The United States’ southern border has reached a historically catastrophic state; overrun border towns such as Lukeville, Arizona and Eagle Pass, Texas are the laughingstocks of the world. Further south in our hemisphere, socialist thug Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela threatens to infringe upon neighboring Guyana’s territorial sovereignty.

In Eastern Europe, the Russia-Ukraine war, now nearly two years in the making, shows little sign of abating. In the Middle East, Israel’s multifront war against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other extremists in Judea and Samaria is spilling over to a regional conflagration. U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked over 100 times since Hamas’ Oct. 7 pogrom; the Iran-funded Houthis in Yemen fire indiscriminately at commercial tankers and control the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial global trade chokepoint.

In the Far East, Communist China’s hegemonic ambitions grow clearer by the day; strongman Xi Jinping openly threatens the Philippines, and Taiwan sits squarely in Beijing’s crosshairs. If that weren’t scary enough, the U.S. arsenal is so depleted that Japan, which has been largely demilitarized since World War II, recently sold Patriot guided missiles to the United States.

At home, Americans have not been this politically or culturally divided since the 1850s. And “Bidenomics,” which this president stubbornly makes the basis for his reelection campaign, remains less popular than venereal disease.

Let’s hope things don’t get much worse in 2024. Here is a partial wish list for what I would like to see in the new year:

1. Defeat Joe Biden in November. It is difficult to describe just how disastrous the Biden presidency has been. Beginning with the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the world has imploded under his negligent watch. At home, inflation has reached four-decade highs, the economy entered a recession, real wages have stagnated, and skyrocketing mortgage rates have put homeownership out of reach for an entire generation. Meanwhile, this most divisive of presidents censors dissident speech, compares his leading opponent to Hitler, and sadistically sics the full power of the federal government on his partisan opponents. At this late hour of the republic, it is incumbent that Joe Biden be retired to his Delaware basement.

2. End America’s Drug Overdose Epidemic. The single most under-discussed but disproportionately important issue in the United States is the sickening rate at which Americans—especially younger ones—are committing suicide and dying of drug overdose-induced “deaths of despair.” Whereas in 1992, drug overdose deaths in America tallied just over 5,000 annually, last year the number was roughly 110,000. Consider that the entire world partially shut down for years to fight COVID-19, which we now know was hardly any more dangerous than the flu. Our drug epidemic is far deadlier than COVID ever was. It is past time to conduct a whole-of-government effort against the lethal synthetic narcotics, such as fentanyl and the newly discovered opioid “nitazenes,” that amount to Chinese-manufactured chemical warfare, dutifully laundered by the Mexican drug cartels, against America’s youth.

3. End the Useless Proxy War in Ukraine. For over a year and a half now, the Volodymyr Zelenskyy regime in Kyiv has not been in any real risk of falling. Over that time, Ukraine’s fight against its Russian aggressors has continued, but it has been primarily relegated to disputed areas of the Crimean peninsula and the ethnically divided Donbas region of far eastern Ukraine. It is not remotely obvious—nor has it ever been obvious—how the U.S. national interest is implicated over Russia and Ukraine sparring over towns and subregions that historically switched hands between sovereign powers and are today ethnically divided. “Support Ukraine’s maximal demands to defend Taiwan and deter China!” shout the neoconservatives. Far better to simply do that: Redeploy our limited arms to our allies in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

4. Support Israel in Its War Against Barbaric Jihad. Unlike the situation in Ukraine, the United States has an unequivocal interest in supporting Israel to the hilt in its now-multifront war against Sunni and Shiite jihadists. Many American citizens were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 pogrom, and many more remain hostages in Gaza. Furthermore, the global jihad has been remarkably emboldened since Oct. 7, and Israel must now deal a fatal blow to the forces of darkness so that their vile supporters all over the world pipe down and take a seat. Finally, stability in the Middle East, a core U.S. interest, is best achieved when Israel is fully supported and otherwise left to its own devices; the Abraham Accords peace agreements are an enduring testament.

May this be a year where the forces of civilizational sanity prosper, and the forces of civilizational arson and barbarism are vanquished. Happy New Year to all.

Northeast cities, such as Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City, have been locked in a nearly two-year snow drought. However, new forecasts suggest this snow drought could end in the new year. 

“For the first time in nearly 2 years, we have a legitimate snowstorm signal on Jan 7 to track across much of the Northeast & *potentially* including the I-95 corridor,” Tomer Burg, an atmospheric scientist, posted on X. 

The Northeast has been stuck in a wet weather pattern with above-average temperatures (thanks to El Nino). The result has been mostly rain events for the Interstate 95 corridor, while higher elevations in the interior have seen some accumulating snow. 

Private weather forecaster BAMWX posted one model showing a high probability of 6″ + snowfall across major Northeast metro areas for the next 15 days. 

15 day snowfall probability of 6”+ snowfall via the new EPS ensemble.

A few big storms possible next 6-10 days. pic.twitter.com/s7ge3HSyts

— BAM Weather (BAMWX) (@bamwxcom) December 31, 2023

“Anticipation is growing here in the weather world as a major Arctic blast takes shape along with monumental snowfall for the Lower 48 sometime in the upcoming New Year,” said Ryan Maue, a meteorologist and former NOAA chief scientist. 

2 for the price of 1 [GraphCast A.I.] pic.twitter.com/00GpAYcjW6

— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) December 31, 2023

BAMWX also warned of a polar vortex threat later this month. 

12Z ECMWF Says not so fast I still want to split the #PolarVortex.

The ensemble responds closely in line.

Now all the sudden the risk of a total PV breakdown is back into the forecast.

What a wild ride. #natgas #wxx https://t.co/cH2mcZlOxp pic.twitter.com/BYCCp04FAr

— BAM Weather (BAMWX) (@bamwxcom) December 31, 2023

Snow lovers across the Interstate 95 corridor may finally rejoice as the probability of more than an inch of snow is rising for the next 1-2 weeks. 

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

At least four police officers were hurt Saturday in what has been dubbed a ‘diversity riot’ in London.

The incident in Camberwell, South London saw a violent mob of stick-wielding hoodlums, some reportedly of Ethiopian descent and some Eritreans, attempting to stop a meeting inside a nearby theatre that was being attended by representatives of the government of the East African nation.

The footage shows that as police attempted to control the situation, they quickly found themselves under attack.

London having a normal one.

Reports are Eritreans and Ethiopians were protesting, it all ended up in a big stick fight, and now the cops are involved. pic.twitter.com/MGUfFFxyzG

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 30, 2023

Southwark Police told reporters that the violence was sparked by “tensions in the Eritrean community,” further noting that “Eight people were arrested in Camberwell this afternoon for offences including violent disorder, criminal damage, possession of offensive weapon and assault on an emergency worker.”

NEW – Chaos has broken out on the streets of London, with crowds wielding sticks seen squaring up with cops — The Sunpic.twitter.com/HXJc5QW5Wg

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 30, 2023

“Four officers were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital and has now been discharged,” the statement added.

The two African nations of Ethiopia and Eritrea are again close to war over territorial disputes.

The fact that this happened in London and British police officers had to intervene has led many to point out that it is yet another example of failed enforced multiculturalism.

Cultural enrichers vs “our greatest strength.” https://t.co/eNsNZaXLku

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) December 30, 2023

It was worth it for the delicious Ethiopian food. https://t.co/QZWkFkaRpx

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) December 30, 2023

Almost identical scenes happened in Israel, and Netanyahu reacted by announcing all Africans would be deported. https://t.co/PsWI43okVy

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) December 30, 2023

*  *  *

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews

Authored by Amir Taheri via The Gatestone Institute,

If there is a pendulum that regulates world affairs, it is important to know which way it may be swinging in the year that is about to start.

Seen from one angle, the pendulum looks like swinging towards uncertainty.

In 2024, many countries with major roles in international affairs are facing dicey elections.

The United States looks set for what could be the most difficult election season in its history. Will President Joe Biden, with his physical and mental fitness questioned by some, be able to run the final mile to his party’s nomination? Or will his Democrat Party be forced to rally around Kamala Harris at the last moment and out of desperation?

The Republicans face an even less predictable prospect.

Although Donald Trump continues to cast a large shadow on the whole process, a shadow is just a shadow after all. The alternative savior, Ron DeSantis, seems to be fading away, while Nikki Haley, a dark horse just a few weeks ago, is beginning to emerge as a serious pretender.

Even then, and regardless of who would win the keys to the White House next November, the United States will be on pilot mode for much of 2024 and thus, unable to take the tough decisions that only a well-settled administration could take.

The United Kingdom is also facing what is seen as the most difficult general elections it has experienced at least since the Suez Crisis of 1956.

The Conservative Party seems to be in letdown mode, while the Labour Party appears unable to seize the opportunity to make a big comeback. The prospect of a hung parliament, with Labour forced to depend on the Scottish National Party (SNP) to form a government, signals a period of uncertainty as far as strategic decisions are concerned.

In the European Union, the Netherlands is already without a stable government and is likely to remain so for months, while coalition-building goes on. In Germany, the EU’s big beast in economic terms, the shaky coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz could unravel at any moment, while the right-wing Alternative for Germany waits to emerge as the arbiter of a divided political scene.

Even France now seems to be heading for a period of instability as President Emmanuel Macron’s shaky coalition begins to crumble, while his government is unable to secure a majority in the parliament.

The prospect of dissolution of parliament and snap elections is hanging above the scene like the Damocles’ sword of the myth.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin seems set to easily sail to victory on his bid for a new presidential term. But even there, the elections are likely to lead to a major reshuffle of the ruling elite, including the top brass and the inner circle of household oligarchs. After all, the thinly disguised failure in Ukraine must be blamed on someone, someone other than good old Volodia.

The only major power to appear stable at the moment is the People’s Republic of China.

But there too, President Xi Jinping appears more focused on managing economic slowdown and the purge of the party than being dragged into international problems that promise nothing but trouble.

The pendulum is also swinging more sharply towards conflict, instability and state failures.

In 2023, the list of “ungoverned” countries was limited to Syria, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan and, according to some, Afghanistan.

In 2024 Sudan, caught in a war between rival military factions, is certain to join the category, while Myanmar, with areas controlled by Karen rebels expanding, is heading in the same direction.

If you hope that the pendulum will swing towards peace, think again.

In Ukraine, both sides, that is to say Russia and NATO, appear in a zugzwang that keeps them in conflict for the foreseeable future.

The Gaza war is set to continue in 2024. Even after Israel achieves its military objectives, that is to say dismantling Hamas’ military machine and freeing Israeli hostages, within weeks the gargantuan task of building a new status quo is certain to take much longer.

In the meantime, the Gaza war has already ricocheted to North Yemen, still under Houthi control, and parts of Lebanon, under Hezbollah’s total control. Fighting involving Iranian-controlled militias in Syria and Iraq with US-backed elements is also likely to get wider dimensions.

There are indications that both Russia and Turkey are also preparing for military action on a grander scale to secure the chunks of Syria under their control.

For its part, the Islamic Republic of Iran is likely to face a sharp swing of the pendulum towards uncertainty in both domestic and foreign policy areas.

Another case of the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction concerns the United Nations and diplomacy in general.

The UN Security Council is likely to remain inoperative for the foreseeable future, while the Secretary-General, having tripped over the Gaza war, has lost much of his authority as arbiter of international conflicts.

At the end of the COP28 in Dubai earlier this month, there was much talk about multilateralism making a big comeback. But that may be nothing but wishful thinking. The coming year looks likely to see a further decline in multilateralism and an increase in bilateral efforts to deal with economic and security problems.

In some cases, lone-ranger policymaking is finding more advocates.

Hungary under Viktor Orbán, for example, is defying the EU by hosting a Chinese manufacturer of electric cars to compete with EU producers. Despite an agreement to coordinate immigration policy, EU members are developing divergent strategies likely to lead to diplomatic clashes in 2024.

A broader and potentially more important pendulum swing in 2024 would be away from the mushy consensus formed during the golden days of globalism.

Almost everywhere, we are already witnessing a return to the narrowest concept of national interests. Fear of dependence on potentially hostile or unstable powers has forced many countries, especially in the EU, to lean towards economic nationalism and discard the “comparative advantage” argument.

France, for example, has just unveiled a plan for self-sufficiency in a number of areas, notably pharmaceuticals, microchips and batteries for electrical vehicles. In a more folkloric move away from globalization, France has just revived growing a number of plants used in textile industry.

Finally, the pendulum looks likely to swing in favor of small- and/or medium-sized nations capable of adopting non-ideological and effective policies in the interest of their people. After all, no nation is small or medium as such; it’s the leadership that makes a country small or great.

Via The Cradle,

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken used emergency authority to approve the sale of $147.5 million of 155 mm artillery shells to Israel on Saturday, bypassing the standard congressional review for arms sales for the second time since the start of the war on Gaza.

A State Department spokesman said on Friday that “given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of the transfer.”

Earlier this month, Blinken used the same emergency process to approve the sale of 14,000 tank shells, worth more than $106 million, to Israel. The emergency sale of artillery shells comes as Israel’s military intensifies its bombing campaign in Gaza.

Earlier this week, on Christmas Eve, Israeli forces bombed the Meghazi camp, killing 86 Palestinians in one strike.  Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy excused the death toll by telling Sky News the army had used an “incorrect munition.”

But he refused to apologize for the loss of life and did not say what type of munition was used, despite being pressed several times by Sky News presenter Niall Paterson.

Israel has regularly used 2,000 lb US-made bombs to target residential neighborhoods in Gaza.

Continued instances of this sort cast doubt on the sincerity of the White House’s rhetoric calling for Israel to refrain from killing Palestinian civilians in such huge numbers.

Josh Paul, a former State Department arms expert who resigned in protest in October, told The Washington Post that Blinken’s decision to rush these unguided munitions enables Israel to continue the type of operations in Gaza that have “led to so many Palestinian civilian deaths.”

“This is shameful, craven, and should frankly turn the stomach of any decent human being,” he said. A Washington Post analysis found that Israel’s war against Gaza has been more devastating than any other 21st-century conflict.

‘Israel dropped 29,000 weapons on Gaza in a little over two months, according to U.S. officials. By comparison, the U.S. military dropped 3,678 munitions on Iraq from 2004 to 2010, according to the U.S. Central Command.’

The Ruined Landscape of Gaza / WSJhttps://t.co/jeKciq4pzL

— Kristian Ulrichsen (@Dr_Ulrichsen) December 30, 2023

International outrage continues in response to the Israeli bombing campaign, with South Africa invoking the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice the same day Blinken approved the additional weapons sale.

It’s a problem in the western world that is rarely discussed in the media beyond puff-piece articles and glancing polls that avoid connecting the dots.   The precipitous decline of dating, committed relationships and marriage along with a flatline in population in the past couple decades in the US is treated as a novelty issue rather than the threat to the stability of civilization that it actually is.  History shows that without the traditional family structure, numerous ugly societal consequences follow.

One could argue, though, that the situation is far worse than that.  We may be heading into a future where families become a novelty, and many argue that the root cause is feminism and the hyperinflated delusions of progressive women.

In order to understand the problem we have to look at the stats. 

More than 50% of American women are still childless by age 30.  By age 35 fertility goes into steep decline with women having a 15% chance of becoming pregnant, and a less than 5% chance of motherhood at age 40.  Meaning, the best window of opportunity for women to find a compatible partner and build a family is in their 20s.  

Feminists argue, though, that this is the time in a woman’s life when they should be building a career and having fun.  Family life, they say, is an artificial prison “created by the patriarchy” in order to oppress the fairer sex.  Corporate media and Hollywood entertainment often reinforce this narrative and encourage unrealistic life goals.

The propaganda has generated what many refer to as the “Female Happiness Paradox.”  Surveys show that increased power, job access and responsibility for women in society since the 1970s has also led to a diametrically opposed decline in overall happiness for those same women.  The correlation suggests the exact opposite of what feminism originally promised and that the ideology has been a net negative.

Though some will argue that a general decline in economic conditions is the real cause, surveys show that women have suffered a far more pronounced drop in happiness compared to men.  Meaning, men were already acclimated to the struggles of the workaday world and their roles as providers and protectors.  Women were happy until they joined men in the trenches.  

For men, the reaction has been to back away from the dating scene and the double standards involved.  Over 63% of men under the age of 30 are now single; that’s up from 51% in 2019.  The majority of single men say this is by choice and that they are seeking to avoid relationships altogether.  Why?  The consensus appears to be that modern western women cost too much money and cause too much trouble.

Fear of failed marriage is one aspect that has the younger generation of men on edge, with family courts still largely in favor of women in divorce settlements and child custody.  This is one reason why marriage rates have declined by 60% since the 1970s.  However, the obstacles go well beyond divorce and into a new culture of female entitlement.    

The word on the street is “Hoeflation”:  The dramatic increase in cost for men today to maintain a relationship with a woman while the quality of women continues to go down.  That is to say, it is an increase in female expectations vs what they bring to the table in a relationship.  

In other words, women of the past used to have something to offer beyond sexual companionship, from greater femininity, greater potential for motherhood, less combativeness and narcissism, as well as a superior ability to raise children and maintain a home.  Such traits are highly attractive to men even after 60 years of widespread feminism, but are seen as non-existent among women under 30 in 2023.

It should be noted that “Hoeflation” seems to be directly linked to progressive influences, and not all women fall into this category.  Unfortunately, around 71% of young women identify with progressive beliefs, as opposed to young men who are only 53% progressive.  It should also be noted that progressive today means something a lot different from what it meant in the 1990s (progressive now means woke, or extreme leftist cultism).    

A majority of American women have cast off their traditional roles in exchange for modern feminist ideals while still expecting traditional roles for men.  Dating, younger men complain, is now more like a job interview with scrutiny of their finances a primary topic.  Beyond that, the online meat market isn’t helping.  Dating app research shows that 80% of western women are all chasing after the top 20% or less of men, with earning potential being the biggest factor next to physical attractiveness.    

A recent viral trend on social media in which women made a list of restaurants that they would refuse to eat at on a first date exemplifies the concept of “Hoeflation.” 

The Cheesecake Factory in particular was consistently mentioned as a “red flag” for “cheap men.”  Spending of up to $200 or more was presented as a bare minimum for a first date, and only 26% of women indicated they are willing to split the tab.  First dates used to be an opportunity for men and women to decide if there is a chance for compatibility, now progressive women expect grand gestures of wealth and ambition.  Like Valentine’s Day, but everyday.  

What feminism has done, essentially, is hyper-exaggerate women’s natural inclination to seek out more productive men, while also hyper-exaggerating their sense of self worth and making them insufferable.  

Women who have nothing to offer have been inculcated with delusions of grandeur.  So much so that the question “what do you bring to the table” is sneered at – “I am the table” is their response.  There is no cure for this level of narcissism except hitting rock bottom, which is an outcome that western women (and society as a whole) are swiftly approaching          

The problem is not as historically entrenched as one might think, with Gen Z being the biggest deviation with the worst prospects for relationships among all other generations.  Feminism has been an ever present agenda but Gen Z has been hit with the brunt of the fallout in the span of a single decade.  We can hope, however, that as quickly as the cancer of feminism has spread it might recede.  If the greatest damage was done within one or two generations, maybe a cure can be applied in the next generation.   

Authored by Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis told Iowa voters that if he is elected in 2024, he would fire special counsel Jack Smith on his first day in office.

The declaration came during a campaign event on Thursday and aimed at setting himself apart from his chief GOP rival, former President Donald Trump, who faces two federal prosecutions led by Mr. Smith.

The Florida governor expressed his concern that President Trump, as the Republican nominee, would overshadow the election, focusing on legal issues and investigations rather than addressing the nation’s challenges.

Should President Trump become the Republican nominee for the third consecutive time, said Mr. DeSantis, then “the whole election will be about him,” his behavior, and “all these different investigations and legal cases.”

“Which, look,” he added, “I think are unfair. I will fire Jack Smith on day one when I’m president. That is without saying.”

The Epoch Times contacted the Department of Justice (DOJ) for comment.

Mr. DeSantis has been united in the view of the former president and his supporters, who have characterized the DOJ prosecutions as a “weaponization” of the government against President Joe Biden’s likely primary opponent.

The governor emphasized his belief that the media and Democrats were keen on making the election solely about President Trump, diverting attention from holding President Biden accountable for what they say are his failures.

Mr. DeSantis argued that focusing on President Trump’s legal battles would play into the Democratic playbook and ultimately lead to Republican losses across the country.

“Even if somehow he could surmount that, you have a lame-duck president on day one,” Mr. DeSantis said, referring to President Trump. “How are you going to be able to get things done? How are you going to be able to recruit personnel that you need?”

While making his pitch to Iowa voters, Mr. DeSantis went on to outline his vision for the presidency, emphasizing the need for a diverse team to enact meaningful change.

“We will go in on day one, and we are going to upend this swamp in Washington. We’re going to do it,” he declared.

Smith ‘Should Be Scared,’ Says Trump Lawyer

Mr. Smith has brought two federal criminal cases against President Trump, one in Florida over classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate and another in Washington, D.C., related to his efforts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections.

President Trump is also facing several other legal cases, both civil and criminal.

The former president has repeatedly claimed during public appearances and on Truth Social that all of the cases are tantamount to election interference, forming an effort to keep him from seeking the White House again.

Recent national polls put President Trump leaps and bounds ahead of his Republican rivals in the 2024 race.

Mr. Smith recently filed papers in the election case arguing that President Trump should be blocked from telling jurors that the cases against him represent selective prosecution by federal officials.

In a motion, Mr. Smith’s office specifically asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of President Barrack Obama who is presiding over the case and trial, to rule that the former president cannot say in court that he is being prosecuted for political reasons, saying that it could be prejudicial.

Lawyers from Mr. Smith’s office told the court in filings that President Trump has, via public statements, court filings, and arguments in hearings, tried to “inject into this case partisan political attacks and irrelevant and prejudicial issues that have no place in a jury trial.”

“Although the court can recognize these efforts for what they are and disregard them, the jury—if subjected to them—may not,” lawyers working with Mr. Smith wrote.

Trump attorney Alina Habba, responding to the filing, said it shows that Mr. Smith is “running scared,” and he “should be scared,” she told Newsmax on Thursday.

“He doesn’t want, basically, any defense being brought by the defense,” Ms. Habba said, referring to Mr. Smith. “It’s what happened with the last trial I tried. It’s what will happen with the next one I try.”

Ms. Habba has suggested that prosecutors are trying to rush a conviction of the former president before the election. The District of Columbia trial case is scheduled for March 4, one day before the Super Tuesday nominating contest for the 2024 presidential election.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.