Social Media Reacts To Dismissal Of Trump's Classified Documents Case
Monday’s announcement that Judge Aileen Cannonhad dismissed the indictment of former President Donald Trumpin the Mar-A-Lagoclassified documents case was definitely heard all over social media.
Moments after Cannon ruled that Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional, various legal experts and political pundits took to social media to discuss the dismissal.
Obviously, the former president was happy with the ruling, and posted on his Truth Social platform that “this dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts.”
But many legal experts and political pundits found Cannon’s ruling hard to swallow since it seemed to go against established legal precedent.
Oh, and some people found the timing of the ruling’s release, right before the Republican National Convention, just a bit suspicious.
Understand what Judge Cannon did. She saw the non-stop media coverage of the shooting, used that distraction to overturn decades of legal precedent without citing a single case in her ruling's favor, & dismissed Trump's classified documents case.
This is how republics collapse.— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) July 15, 2024
Others pointed out that special counsels have been repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court, and that Cannon is putting her finger on the scale to benefit MAGA.
The fix is in.
As I pointed out here over a year ago, Judge Cannon should have been booted off this case at the outset.https://t.co/nQGG6ezCxE via @slate— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) July 15, 2024
Can we now talk about how Aileen Cannon is a clear partisan whose every single decision has been made with the intent of helping Trump? Is that allowed? Do we have to keep pretending that she is keeps making shocking decisions that just happen to benefit him massively?
— Will Stancil (@whstancil) July 15, 2024
Just to be crystal clear: SCOTUS has upheld special counsels repeatedly. Cannon is a district court judge, her job is to apply controlling precedent. She’s doing this because she thinks the MAGA court is on the same page as her and Trump’s lawyers and will go along.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 15, 2024
Judge Cannon dismissed decades of institutional precedent, years of recent rulings on Mueller and Smith, and pretty much the entire premise of the special counsel regulations.
Her ultimate complaint? Jack Smith is TOO independent.— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) July 15, 2024
Some people sarcastically wondered how a judge appointed by the former president could ever think to rule in his favor.
Weird that a judge he appointed would bend over backwards to save him. But did we expect anything else in modern day MAGA America?
Something like justice?
Bah!— Democracy Over Autocracy! NOTHING MORE!! (@MAGABULLDEFINER) July 15, 2024
A couple of people noted that Justice Clarence Thomas’ fingerprints seemed to be all over Cannon’s ruling.
This argument is unlikely to get five votes in the Supreme Court. But the delay will push any resolution of this case well past this year’s presidential election.
It’s worth noting that Justice Thomas previewed this argument in his dissent in the immunity case. https://t.co/bL4pmTawwP— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 15, 2024
In Trump's immunity ruling, Justice Thomas all but invited Judge Cannon to find Jack Smith was unconstitutionally appointed as special counsel.
Cannon noticed.
Her ruling doing so cites that concurrence at least three times. https://t.co/vt8gQxX20Qpic.twitter.com/i7zvGHdKSj— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 15, 2024
Some speculated how the ruling might affect other cases, including Hunter Biden’s recent conviction for illegally owning a firearm, which also came at the hands of a special counsel.
If Judge Cannon's ruling holds, the Hunter Biden conviction would have to be thrown out.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 15, 2024
A few people theorized that Cannon is trying hard to set herself up as a Supreme Court justice.
Wow. She just (temporarily) immunized Trump from engaging in espionage. I guess this is the price for a SCOTUS seat. If there's any doubt over what is at stake this November, doubt no more. https://t.co/RddbitMPH7
— Andrew C Laufer, Esq (@lauferlaw) July 15, 2024
A couple people suggested steps that Smith could take, including handing the case to another office in hopes it gets assigned to a different judge.
If I'm Jack Smith and the DOJ, I might consider handing the Mar-A-Lago case to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, re-indict, and hope it gets assigned to a more competent judge than Cannon.
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) July 15, 2024
This ruling (which is wrong six ways from Sunday) can (and will) be immediately appealed to the Eleventh Circuit.
To me, the only question is whether the Special Counsel also asks for the case to be reassigned on remand… https://t.co/GMoZahpiiA— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) July 15, 2024
But one person felt the best way to acknowledge frustration with Cannon’s ruling was to quote ’80s band Dexys Midnight Runners.
Come on, Aileen
— Sam Stein (@samstein) July 15, 2024
