Trump Is Accidentally Exposing Aileen Cannon’s Shady Pro-MAGA Game

Yet in Trump’s hands, none of these details matter—he steamrolls right over them—because the sum of his message is that, by definition, Biden is guilty and Trump is innocent. As with his ceaseless attacks on Smith and everyone else trying to hold him accountable to the law, any such efforts are to be presumed illegitimate by virtue of the fact that he’s their target. That’s also the message of Trump’s attacks on the family members of officials involved in cases against him: not just that he’s trying to prevent the application of the law to himself by any means necessary, but also that he’s flaunting it.

Similarly, Trump has no basis for declaring Cannon “highly respected” other than his correct perception that she’s on his side.

Having all this out in the open is the last thing Cannon wants, because by all indications, she’s striving to appear neutral in the case—while sneakily leaving the door open to help Trump later. To wit: Cannon didn’t rule on Trump’s claim that he was authorized under the PRA to take the documents. Had she done so in his favor, as many legal experts noted, it would have been subject to appeal. But by deferring that question, Cannon has given herself two options later: Instruct the jury at trial to take that argument seriously into account, making acquittal more likely, or dismiss the case herself on those grounds.