US District Judge Aileen Cannon signaled she is likely to push back the start of a trial in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case beyond the mid-December date proposed by federal prosecutors – but appeared deeply skeptical of arguments from Donald Trump’s lawyers that he couldn’t get a fair trial while running for president.
I agree but that’s so far down the line and “the damage will have been done,” by then so to speak.
The two big issues of this article are 1. Start time of the trial, which Cannon has agreed that mid-December (5 months from now!) is too early; and 2. That Trump can’t get a fair trial while he’s campaigning (Cannot didn’t agree to this).
Let’s say the trial doesn’t start until after March when Trump is the obvious front runner for the RNC after Super Tuesday. His next ploy will be “I can’t campaign enthusiastically while this trial is going on, so delay it,” and Cannon may/may not allow it. Then heaven forbid Trump is elected president again, he will claim his position is now completely beyond reproach (there’s another submission in this magazine to a video explaining that this is his stated goal) and so now he’s exempt from being held accountable through this trial at all.
Even if this court case was wrapped up before November 2024, he’s going to challenge any outcome that doesn’t exonerate him. And yes, a higher court would comment about how this shouldn’t have ever received the first delay and should have started in December 2023, but what all machinations have transpired in the background while that appeals trial is happening and being decided?
yes yes and yes.
I’m only here to add: if he gets elected again he will absolutely 100% pardon himself. I figure if another Republican gets elected there is still a high probability of a pardon if only “so the country can heal” (or some such bullshit).
(Obviously only for federal cases)
Trump would also 100% pardon himself for a state conviction and just dare the country to hold him accountable. If he gets that far, it would probably work.
(Cool user name. I remember Karl Popper from my philosophy courses)
There’s a certain catch 22 with presidential pardons though: the pardoned accepts their guilty verdict, they are just absolved of the legal punishment phase.
I don’t think Trump could get over that first hurdle, though he is best characterized as playing both sides on anything that benefits him, so I’m sure he’ll try.
he would just lie and say that accepting a pardon from himself isn’t admitting guilt, he had to do it for <insert stupid reason>.