Federal prosecutors and lawyers for former President Donald Trump are set to appear in court on Friday to discuss a protective order sought by special counsel Jack Smith in the case involving the 2020 presidential election. The order, proposed by the Justice Department, would govern the disclosure of material collected by the government in its case against Trump. Prosecutors argue that the order is necessary to prevent the improper dissemination or use of evidence, citing a social media post by Trump where he stated, "If you go after me, I'm coming after you!" They claim that public disclosure of sensitive information could have a harmful chilling effect on witnesses and impact the fair administration of justice in the case. Trump's lawyers have objected to the proposed order, arguing that it infringes on his First Amendment rights. They propose a narrower protective order that would only shield genuinely sensitive materials, such as grand jury information and sealed search warrants. The case against Trump involves allegations that he attempted to stop the transfer of presidential power and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump's legal team has also raised concerns about the timing of the trial and has sought to have the case dismissed and moved out of Washington, D.C. If the proposed trial schedule is approved, it would begin just days before the three-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol and two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the first contest in the 2024 presidential election cycle.