Donald Trump posted on Truth Social:
“The Perverts and Misfits of the Lincoln Project have (barely!) gotten together again after their disgusting scandal, and pieced together some ads. They are running on fumes. Were they ever prosecuted for their crimes? Are their donors under investigation? Check it out!”
During the highly anticipated trial of former President Donald Trump on 37 counts related to Espionage Act violations, Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon has taken center stage, drawing both praise and criticism from legal experts and observers. CNN’s Jessica Schneider highlighted Judge Cannon’s actions and praised her for “taking charge right off the bat” in handling the bombshell trial.
Judge Aileen Cannon, appointed by President Trump in 2019, was randomly selected to preside over this significant trial. However, her tenure has not been without controversy. She previously made a controversial ruling that was later overturned by an appeals court, a decision that included two other Trump-appointed judges. This has led to criticism from some quarters, although legal experts like Mediaite founder Dan Abrams have defended Cannon’s position and stated that she should not step down from the case.
Schneider, reporting on CNN This Morning, acknowledged the criticism surrounding Judge Cannon but pointed to her recent order requiring Trump’s attorneys to obtain security clearances as evidence of her effective management of the case thus far. Schneider emphasized that Judge Cannon and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are determined to expedite the process, underscoring the urgency in obtaining security clearances due to the highly sensitive classified materials involved in the trial.
The significance of Judge Cannon’s order lies in its indication that she is actively managing her docket and swiftly addressing critical matters related to the trial. This is particularly noteworthy given that she is relatively new to the bench and her ability to effectively handle such a massive and complicated case has been questioned. By initiating the security clearance process for attorneys involved in the trial, Judge Cannon is demonstrating her proactive approach and establishing her control over the proceedings.
Schneider also provided an update on former President Trump’s legal team, noting that two of his attorneys had already met the deadline to contact the DOJ regarding security clearances. However, the pressure is now on the former president to swiftly align his legal team, as Judge Cannon’s order creates additional urgency in meeting the necessary requirements for the trial.
ERICA HILL: So that process getting the ball rolling here, How long would it take for that clearance?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER: Well, yeah, You know, the judge here, Judge Aileen Cannon and DOJ, Erica, they both want this process to move very quickly here. So Judge Cannon’s order. First order of business, instructing all attorneys to get in touch with DOJ to begin this security clearance process. Because our Kaitlan Collins actually reported that Todd Blanche, Chris Kise, they have already been in touch with DOJ because, of course, this case is comprised of highly sensitive classified materials that these attorneys will need to get a security clearance in order to work with all of these materials.
This order is also significant because it really does show that Judge Cannon, who has been criticized for siding with Trump in a previous related case and whose ability to effectively manage this case has actually been questioned. It does show how she’s already getting into motion to manage her docket within days of Trump’s arraignment. She really is relatively new to the bench. She was nominated by Trump in 2019, but she will be the one running this massive and complicated case. And we’re, she really is taking charge right off the bat by trying to get these security clearances in motion Erica, which these two attorneys have already been in touch with DOJ about.
ERICA HILL: Yeah, which is important. We also know the former president looking to hire another lawyer. Is there a sense that that will happen in time to meet today’s deadline of reaching out to the DOJ?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER: Yes. So two of Trump’s attorneys, they’ve already met the deadline. So they’ve been in touch with DOJ. They now need to alert Judge Cannon by Tuesday that they’ve done that. But it is clear that her order definitely puts this additional pressure on the former president to get his legal team fully aligned here.
