Dem
51
GOP
49
The movie that song is most closely identified with is about a clash between people fighting for democracy and people fighting for fascism, so it seems apropos here. Anyhow, in a true "Play it again, Sam" moment, Team Trump has gotten to work trying to delay the Florida classified documents trial.
Firing the first salvo was Donald Trump's co-defendant, Walt Nauta. In theory, he is supposed to be in court on Friday for a procedural hearing. However, Nauta asked to delay the hearing because his Washington lawyer is busy with another trial this week. Special Counsel Jack Smith was not pleased with this request, noting that Nauta's Florida lawyer should be able to handle the hearing, and that Team Nauta has already engaged in plenty of foot-dragging. Judge Aileen Cannon will presumably sort this out sometime in the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, late Monday night, Trump joined the party with a filing claiming that he and his team simply cannot be ready to go to trial by December, and that it would not be fair to ask him to stand trial in the midst of a presidential campaign. In other words, Trump wants the trial delayed until after next year's election. Obviously, he believes that he will win that election and that he'll also be able to pardon himself. Both suppositions are questionable, but hope springs eternal.
Interestingly, Trump's desires are at odds with what the voting public wants. According to a new poll from Politico/Ipsos, nearly two-thirds of voters overall, 48% of independents and 46% of Republicans want the trial to take place before next year's elections. Do these voters want to know whether or not the former president compromised national security? Do they want him cleared so there's nothing hanging over his head when people head to the polls next November? The pollster did not ask a follow-up, but it's probably some of both.
Of course, it's not Nauta, Trump, Smith or the American people whose opinion matters here. The only opinion that counts is Cannon's. And she is about to face her first big test when it comes to impartiality. Specifically, if she agrees to delay the trial until December 2024, she is going to be broadly condemned for being in the bag for Trump. Again, we should find out in short order what she will do. (Z)