Neal Katyal, a former acting Solicitor General and a Justice Department official during the Obama administration, criticized U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to indefinitely delay Donald Trump’s trial over classified documents as “atrocious.” Despite his harsh critique, Katyal highlighted a potential unintended benefit of the postponement.
Speaking to MSNBC’s Alex Wagner, Katyal noted that clearing Trump’s schedule from the classified documents trial could inadvertently streamline the legal proceedings for other significant charges against him. “The one thing I will say that’s positive is that if the Supreme Court allows [special counsel]Jack Smith’s other trial of Trump and Jan. 6 to go forward, Judge Cannon’s decision today has now cleared the docket for Trump,” he explained.
This removal of immediate legal commitments could mean Trump faces his charges related to the January 6 insurrection sooner, especially as his trial for hush money payments is expected to conclude shortly. Katyal also discussed the feasibility of Trump’s January 6 trial occurring before the 2024 elections, suggesting that Judge Cannon’s ruling might make it more likely to happen within this time frame, despite challenges indicated by Supreme Court oral arguments, via BBC.
The case involves accusations against Trump for allegedly conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat to President Joe Biden. This trial was initially set to start on March 4 but has been delayed pending a Supreme Court decision regarding Trump’s claim of total immunity for actions taken while in office.