In a significant development for Donald Trump's election fraud trial, phone experts have extracted a substantial amount of evidence from the former president's phone, leaving his lawyers "totally freaked out," according to a former federal prosecutor. The extracted data includes images, geolocation information, internet history, and timestamps of Trump's social media posts, which allegedly demonstrate his involvement in encouraging the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Prosecutors revealed their intention to present evidence from phone experts in court, causing ripples of concern among Trump's legal team. The experts, referred to as Expert 3, scrutinized both Trump's phone and the phone of "Individual 1," who has been identified as Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City Mayor. This development adds further complexity to the case, as Giuliani is among the six uncharged individuals mentioned in the indictment.

The detailed data analysis conducted by Expert 3 allows for more than just a review of Trump's tweets and browsing habits. Through Twitter data, the expert has apparently determined Trump's physical whereabouts and identified other individuals who had access to his phone. The potential implications of this expertise have left the Trump camp with a sense of unease.

Prosecutor Jack Smith, in a filing on Monday, outlined the nature of the evidence extracted from Trump's phone and Individual 1's phone, mentioning the analysis of images and websites visited. However, the specific details of the images found on Trump's phone have not been disclosed by the prosecution.

Trump, who faces four counts in the Washington case, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, asserting that they are part of a politically motivated "witch hunt." These charges are among the four criminal cases that Trump is currently facing as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

The phone records in question have been deemed of immense value to the prosecutors by Denver Riggleman, a former technical advisor to the January 6 committee. Riggleman highlighted the importance of this data, as it provides irrefutable evidence through "ones and zeros"—referring to the extensive digital information obtained from the phones. Riggleman further emphasized that the geolocation data will play a crucial role in establishing the "pattern of life" of Trump and others implicated in the case.

Looking back, Riggleman expressed his desire for the January 6 committee to have had access to such phone records during their investigation, underscoring the unique and specific insights that device data can provide, distinct from Call Detail Records (CDRs).

As the trial unfolds, the revelations stemming from Trump's phone data extraction have intensified the legal battle. The prosecution's reliance on expert analysis has raised the stakes, leaving Trump's lawyers in a state of concern as they grapple with the mounting evidence against their client. The impact of this significant development on the trial's outcome remains to be seen, but it undoubtedly adds a new layer of complexity to an already high-profile case.