An anti-Trump federal judge conceded that Jack Smith is losing the public opinion battle against the former president.

John Edward Jones III, a former federal judge and a George W. Bush appointee, argued in The Hill that Jack Smith's "prudence" is helping Trump's poll numbers. 

Smith HELPING Trump?

Jones described a scenario that many would find hard to recognize.

The author lavished praise on Smith as a careful prosecutor who is the "very model of rectitude."

He argued that Smith is losing the PR battle because he is a scrupulous and honest prosecutor who refuses to try the case in the media - while Trump is relatively free to say whatever he wants. The result is that Trump's "narrative" of political persecution is gaining traction.

Jones conceded that Trump has "astonishingly turned multiple federal criminal prosecutions into positive poll numbers."

"Unfortunately, unless and until Smith and his team can present their evidence fully in a court of law, and Trump suffers a conviction on any of the significant counts he’s facing, this bizarre and unprecedented situation will persist," Jones wrote.

No politics?

Many would say that Jones' description of the case seems almost upside down.

After all, Trump is under an unprecedented gag order limiting what he can say about the case - while Smith has a megaphone called the mainstream media to promote his narrative.

Far from keeping the case in the courtroom, Smith has spent his time before trial tying Trump to an attack on "democracy" in sweeping, inflammatory language - hardly the actions of a cautious or fair prosecutor.

While the indictments have helped Trump in the polls, it is widely anticipated that Trump would take a hit if convicted. That seems to be exactly what Smith is aiming for.

The trial is scheduled for March but could be pushed back significantly as Trump pursues an appeal on the question of presidential immunity. Smith's request to the Supreme Court to speed up the case was shot down.

While he won't say it, it's fairly obvious Smith wants to ensure a conviction before Election Day, to prevent the possibility of Trump winning the presidency and pardoning himself.

Jones conceded that Smith faces a "daunting task" because he is "running out of time" to try the case before the election, leaving Trump with "the floor."