Trump goes after Jack Smith in wake of immunity ruling
Former President Donald Trump apparently saw blood in the water after a favorable immunity ruling last week, ripping into Special Counsel Jack Smith in a late-night Tuesday rant on Truth Social.
“A really bad day for Deranged Jack Smith, the wacko prosecutor used for Crooked Joe Biden’s attack on his Political Opponent. Today, as in the past, the Supreme Court gave the Deranged One a high level SPANKING!” Trump posted.
“His ‘real’ bosses, Andrew Weissmann and Lisa Monaco, not to mention Merrick Garland, whose once great reputation has been shattered by these Thugs, and his constant defense of Crooked Joe, must be furious at him. Garland ought to call an end to this never ending HOAX, and let people focus on bringing back Greatness to America!” Trump added.
Trump may be attempting to capitalize on part of a concurring opinion in the case, which suggested that Smith's appointment might have been unconstitutional.
Looking to dismiss
"If this unprecedented prosecution is to proceed, it must be conducted by someone duly authorized to do so by the American people. The lower courts should thus answer these essential questions concerning the special counsel's appointment before proceeding," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote.
"I write separately to highlight another way in which this prosecution may violate our constitutional structure," he said two paragraphs later. "In this case, the Attorney General purported to appoint a private citizen as Special Counsel to prosecute a former President on behalf of the United States."
Thomas's arguments bolster those made by Trump's legal team, which is seeking to throw out both Smith cases against him by claiming he wasn't appointed correctly because he was not a government official at the time.
A hearing on the matter will be heard by Judge Aileen Cannon, the only somewhat conservative judge Trump is facing.
Delays now, dismissals to come?
Cannon was the first judge to delay Trump's remaining trials due to a number of "pre-trial issues, which she hopes to resolve by July.
Even so, Trump will now have immunity for anything the judge believes in an official act, which could wipe out some or all of the remaining charges against him.
Even the trial that has allowed Democrats to lob the term "convicted felon" at him like a grenade may not amount to much.
Judge Merchan has delayed Trump's sentencing for falsifying business records--apparently 34 of them--by two months while both sides regroup and decide how to proceed.
Notably, Merchan wrote in a letter announcing the delay that “the matter is adjourned to September 18, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. for the imposition of sentence, if such is still necessary, or other proceedings."
Merchan denied Trump's immunity claims repeatedly during the trial.
