Staff Reports
In a rather uneventful turn of legal theatrics, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided to wrap up Jack Smith’s appeal against Donald Trump concerning classified documents. Smith, the special counsel who seemingly had a vendetta against Trump, saw his efforts deflated with Trump’s recent election victory. Let’s face it, when it comes to prosecuting a sitting president, Smith found himself stuck in a classic catch-22, thanks to the DOJ’s policy from yesteryear that forbids such actions.
Appears Smith wasn’t content just with taking a swing at the big fish. More than 30 charges were hurled at Trump last year in Florida over alleged national defense information retention. But, just like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Judge Aileen Cannon made those charges disappear after dismissing them this summer. No wonder the special counsel decided to save face and withdraw the appeal just one day after potently asserting his intentions. It’s almost charmingly anticlimactic, really.
Court grants Jack Smith’s request to drop classified documents case against Trump https://t.co/dCRmKVZK3b
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 27, 2024
For those keeping track, Smith still holds a grudge against Trump’s co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, and they’re evidently still in the crosshairs of this legal circus. But what can be said for Smith? He carries on, continuing to fight the good fight against Trump despite the winds of justice shifting away from him. Even Smith’s other case in Washington D.C. hit a snag when it received a cold shoulder from Judge Tanya Chutkan, who gave a nod to dismiss the “election interference” charges almost as quickly as the folders were pushed across her desk.
The appellate court’s decision gives both cases concerning Trump a rather unceremonious send-off, making it clear that they aren’t going to pursue the cases anymore—at least not for now. Smith might still be kicking around the idea of dropping a lengthy report about the chaos he once claimed to investigate before packing his bags at the DOJ. Truly, it’s like watching a kid throw a tantrum when he realizes his balloon animal isn’t coming back.
Smith’s appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland back in November 2022 seemed like a grand plan in the eyes of the left. However, with every attempted prosecution crashing and burning, it appears that their hopes of dragging Trump through the mud may have more to do with theatrics than tangible outcomes. As the dust settles, it’s clear that the legal realm looks rather different for sitting presidents, especially when they happen to be leading the country in a second term.
