Michael Steele: Cannon putting Trump classified documents prosecution on trial
Former Republican National Committee (RNC) leader Michael Steele said the judge overseeing former President Trump’s classified documents case is “putting the prosecution on trial.”
Steele slammed Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the classified documents case, for handling the pretrial motions slowly and for being biased toward the prosecutors on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.” He referred to a New York Times report last week that said two of Cannon’s colleagues urged her to pass off the case, suggesting it might be better for the case to be heard in the Miami courthouse.
"Since then, as The Times puts it, she has exhibited hostility to prosecutors, handled pretrial motions slowly, and indefinitely postponed the trial. It's almost as if those judges who encouraged her to decline this case, knew how all of this would play out,” he said.
“In fact, Judge Cannon has proven herself to be so biased in Trump's favor, she's effectively putting the prosecution on trial,” he added.
Cannon has indefinitely postponed the classified documents trial, making it unlikely that it will go forward before November’s election. Steele mentioned a three-day hearing in the case that began on Friday to discuss unresolved legal issues in the case.
Trump’s team argued on Friday that special prosecutor Jack Smith was illegally appointed and that the case should be dismissed, according to The Associated Press. Steele described the argument as a “long shot” challenge that would have likely been tossed by another judge, adding that it was “without basis in law” and was “without precedent.”
“But apparently, Judge Cannon just had to have a hearing about it. It's the last delay tactic from a judge who's wasted countless months on frivolous motions. She has all but refused to allow Trump's case to go to trial and still, still hasn't even set a date for the trial to begin,” he said.
“So when it comes to the help Trump is getting from the bench right now, that's Exhibit A,” he added.