Trump Reveals Judge Cannon’s Game With Just Four Words

Judge Aileen Cannon is definitely lending Donald Trump a helping hand in his classified documents case—at least, that’s according to the former president’s legal team.

Cannon on Tuesday* granted a request by Trump’s team to delay the trial until July 8, allowing the defense more time to find expert witnesses to bolster their case. But four words included near the bottom of the motion revealed exactly what legal experts have been fearing.

“We respectfully submit that no prejudice would result to the Special Counsel’s Office from granting the requested adjournment,” the team wrote in the Monday night filing, adding that “President Trump is disclosing to the Office tonight the topics of expert testimony that he will seek to present at trial should there be one.”

Cannon has added so many delays to the criminal trial that it has seemingly no start date in sight. Legal experts have warned that the Trump-appointed judge’s actions and apparent aversion to expedite the federal obstruction case could delay the trial until after November.

It could even be Cannon’s way of not-so-surreptitiously dismissing the trial altogether—and now, Trump has spelled it out.

In May, Cannon ordered a stay on the GOP presidential nominee’s legal requirement to give the government advance notice of which classified materials will be discussed—but offered no expiration date for the theoretically temporary reprieve. She also slapped down a gag order request for Trump on the basis that his defense did not have enough time to mull over its details.

Cannon has even scheduled an “unusual” hearing on June 21, making time for amicus briefs from non-parties to make oral arguments on whether special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment to the case is constitutional.

Former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb has accused Cannon of “incompetence,” insisting that the case could have “easily” gone to trial before Election Day with the amount of evidence available.

“Only her incompetence and perceived bias has prevented that,” Cobb told CNN last month.

Trump faces 42 felony charges in the case related to willful retention of national security information, corruptly concealing documents, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. But the judge actually overseeing the former president’s classified documents case seems to have no motivation to move forward with the trial.

*This story has been updated with Cannon’s response.