“It’s his job to want and try to convict Donald Trump. But the second part of that, before the election, that’s where its crosses the line to the political,” says CNN legal analyst.
Special Counsel Jack Smith desire to convict former President Donald Trump before the 2024 election highlights his political intent, CNN admitted.
CNN’s Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig took issue with the timetable of Smith’s prosecution against Trump, claiming his effort to try the case before Election Day next November clearly falls into the political realm and is not simply a legal procedural matter.
“Just look at Jack Smith’s conduct in this case. The motivating principle behind every procedural request he’s made has been speed, has been getting this trial in before the election,” Honig explained on “Smerconish” Saturday, noting the average federal conspiracy/fraud trial takes 1.5-2 years to play out.
CNN’s @eliehonig: Jack Smith wants “Donald Trump convicted before the election” pic.twitter.com/I05htw5OmG
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) December 16, 2023
“First of all, if Jack Smith is trying to get this case tried before the election, and he clearly is, that is political. The counter argument would be, ‘Well, Jack Smith just wants the American voters to have resolution before they go to the ballot box.’ I understand that. As a voter, I would like to know.”
“But here’s the problem with that argument,” Honig continued. “Jack Smith doesn’t just want to get this trial done and let the chips fall where they may and let the consequences be what they can be. He’s the prosecutor. He believes this case. He wants this case to result in conviction. So his position isn’t just, well, ‘I want this case tried before the election.’ His position really is ‘I want Donald Trump convicted before the election.’”
“I have no problem with the first part of that. It’s his job to want and try to convict Donald Trump. But the second part of that, before the election, that’s where its crosses the line to the political, in my view,” Honig added.
Smith overplayed his hand when even CNN is calling out his actions to fast track his case against Trump as politically motivated.
Smith overstepped the appellate court and went straight to the US Supreme Court on Monday to rule on Trump’s claim that he was immune from prosecution as former president in hopes of beginning the trial on March 4 — the day before Super Tuesday.
The Supreme Court granted Smith’s motion for expedited review and ordered Trump to respond by Dec. 20.
However, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan temporarily stayed court proceedings amid Trump’s appeal, admitting she doesn’t have jurisdiction over the case while a higher court is considering claims of immunity.
The decision will almost certainly delay Smith’s hopes of a March 4 trial date.
These are the pretrial deadlines now suspended per Judge Chutkan's order.
Not only is the March 4 trial date in Washington now dead, the May 20 classified docs trial in Florida is probably gone since Judge Cannon ordered a March 1 hearing with Jack Smith for update on DC trial. pic.twitter.com/q10Zg992Hg
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) December 13, 2023