Staff Reports
Special Counsel Jack Smith seems to be taking a tactical pause, pressing the brakes on his legal pursuit of President-elect Donald Trump. In a move that raises eyebrows yet again, Smith has filed a request with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to hit the pause button on the appeal concerning the classified documents case against Trump. This development comes on the heels of the November 5 election, where Trump’s victory has put a bright spotlight on Smith’s ambitious crusade.
Following the dismissal of a similar case in D.C., where Judge Tanya Chutkan granted Smith’s request to vacate the briefing schedule, it appears the special counsel is in a frenetic state of backpedaling. It’s almost as if he’s realizing that prosecuting a former president—soon to be an elected president again—might not be the brightest idea. In his latest filing, Smith has expressed the need for a breather until December 2, presumably to weigh his options in this peculiar predicament of his own making.
As we predicted he would in our Spaces the other night, Jack Smith has now asked the 11th Circuit to put a hold on the appeal of the FLA case in which Judge Cannon ruled he was improperly appointed. He wants the Circuit to give him until Dec 2 (same as the case in DC) for the… https://t.co/imwMxICKUo
— Leslie McAdoo Gordon 🇺🇸 (@McAdooGordon) November 13, 2024
This all begs the question of what the Justice Department really hopes to achieve. Smith’s motion stated the need to assess this “unprecedented circumstance” as Trump approaches his inauguration, but it’s tough not to view this as mere legal maneuvering in a desperate attempt to save face. Particularly baffling are the implications for Trump’s co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who are likely just as confused as everyone else about their fate in this convoluted saga.
The timing couldn’t be more ironic. Just as Trump gears up for the grand spectacle of his return to the Oval Office, Smith is left to plan his next move, presumably while frantically searching for a valid legal justification for continuing his strategies against a sitting president. It’s hard to deny that the momentum is clearly on Trump’s side, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the DOJ found itself in a position where scales tip in favor of justice over politics.
As December 2 looms—a date that will likely signal the end of Smith’s ambitious pursuit—it’s becoming increasingly clear that this story is evolving. High stakes legal battles may not resonate well with the American public, especially when there are larger issues at hand, such as a recovering economy and national security. As the dust settles from the election, the nation awaits to see if Jack Smith will finally pack it in for good, or if he’s just reloading for one last futile run against the political juggernaut known as Donald Trump.
