Michael Steele, former leader of the Republican National Committee (RNC), accused Judge Aileen Cannon of putting the prosecution of former President Trump’s classified documents case in jeopardy, describing her actions as “putting the prosecution on trial” and asserting that she is effectively “helping Trump from the bench.”
In an interview on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki,” Steele voiced strong criticism against Judge Cannon, who oversees the case. He referenced a recent New York Times report alleging that two of Cannon’s colleagues had advised her to recuse herself from the case, suggesting it might be better handled in a 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,” Steele 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.
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The trial for the classified documents has been indefinitely postponed by Cannon, making it unlikely to proceed before the upcoming November election. Steele mentioned a recent three-day hearing that commenced on Friday to address unresolved legal issues in the case.
According to The Associated Press, Trump’s legal team argued during the hearing that special prosecutor Jack Smith’s appointment was unlawful and thus the case should be dismissed. Steele characterized this argument as a “long shot” that likely would have been dismissed by another judge, noting it lacked legal basis and 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 concluded.
