Donald Trump due in federal, state courts as he campaigns the final week before Iowa caucuses

WASHINGTON − Donald Trump's final week to campaign before the Iowa caucuses will alternate between traditional and nontraditional venues: the campaign trail and various courthouses.

Trump also plans to use the last days of the Iowa campaign to attack a variety of political targets, including Republican primary challenger Nikki Haley, special counsel and prosecutor Jack Smith, New York Judge Arthur F. Engoron, and sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll.

While Trump argues that indictments and lawsuits are politically motivated, opponents say they provide voters many reasons why they should reject the former president, both in Iowa and across the nation.

“He can never be president again," said an ad produced this week by the Republican Accountability PAC, an anti-Trump political action committee.

Former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, who left the Republican Party over Trump, said he expects him to play "the victim" and lie about "great forces trying to interfere with the election."

"This will be a preview of his entire campaign this whole year," he said.

Trump's crowded upcoming schedule includes:

Trump's immunity claim for Jan. 6

Trump is scheduled to make his first public appearance of the week Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C.

That's the site of a hearing before an appeals court about his long-shot claim of presidential immunity from prosecution for conspiracy to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

If he speaks with reporters − which seems likely − Trump will no doubt have harsh words for Smith and his fellow prosecutors, who brought the federal conspiracy charges that involve the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.

“Of course I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity,” Trump said Monday on Truth Social.

Smith and his legal team have ridiculed Trump's argument for immunity. If allowed, they said, it would permit future presidents to commit bribery, treason, and murder without consequences.

An Iowa town hall with a target: Nikki Haley

After the immunity hearing, Trump returns to Iowa. But on Wednesday he will skip a highly publicized event, a CNN debate featuring Republican rivals Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump, who skipped all four presidential debates last year, will instead conduct a competing event: a Fox News town hall in Iowa.

As he has in recent rallies, Trump is expected to escalate his attacks on Haley, who is moving up against him in polls in New Hampshire ahead of that state's Jan. 23 primary.

As Haley improves her positioning, Trump has attacked her as a "globalist" who is being propped up by the anti-Trump Republican old guard.

Haley, who has mocked Trump for skipping debates, says the attacks prove she is a serious threat.

"Isn't that sweet of him, spending so much time and money against me?" Haley told Fox News last week.

The civil bank fraud trial resumes

Thursday brings another trial of Trump: Closing arguments in a civil bank fraud case that could cost Trump large parts of his business empire.

It is not known whether Trump will attend the hearing in person. He has attended previous hearings in the case as part of a campaign-from-the-courthouse strategy.

Trump has steadily attacked Judge Arthur Engoron, who in September held him liable for fraud by inflating the value of his assets to obtain favorable bank loans. Engoron has also fined Trump for violations of a court-issued gag order.

The judge is expected to rule soon on damages.

New York Attorney General Letitia James − another target of political attacks from Trump − has asked the judge to order the former president to pay $370 million in damages.

A final weekend in Iowa

Trump has "commit to caucus" rallies planned throughout the weekend back in Iowa.

The Republican front-runner is expected to be in Iowa on caucus night Monday − the eve of another high-profile civil trial against Trump him.

E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald Trump

Tuesday is the scheduled start of a damages trial for Carroll, who last year won a $5 million judgment against Trump over an incident of sexual abuse during the 1990s.

The judge in this second Carroll case ruled that Trump has already been found liable for defamation, so this trial is designed to determine more damages.

In the run-up to the latest trial − and the Iowa caucuses − Trump has relentlessly attacked Carroll in campaign speeches and dozens of posts on his Truth Social website.

Carroll has not responded to these latest attacks as she awaits the next trial.

Trump told The New York Times recently that he plans to participate in the Carroll trial, saying, “I’m going to testify."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump due in court as he campaigns the final week before Iowa caucuses