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Breaking: Jack Smith Gives Up

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Things are looking better than ever for Donald Trump.

On Monday, special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion to dismiss the charges against President-elect Donald Trump, related to the alleged subversion of the 2020 election. In a move that has drawn significant attention, Smith’s team also sought to end its appeal of a Florida judge’s decision that had previously dismissed a separate case concerning Trump’s handling of classified documents.

The motion to dismiss the charges against Trump centers on the legal precedent that prevents the indictment of a sitting president. Smith’s filing acknowledges Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election and argues that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the criminal prosecution of a sitting president. “The Department of Justice has long maintained that the Constitution requires any such case to be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated,” Smith’s legal team stated in an unopposed motion to the court. The motion stresses that this request is not based on the merits of the charges but rather on constitutional principles.

Trump had faced multiple charges, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction, conspiracy against rights, and conspiracy to defraud the United States, stemming from the January 6th events. These charges marked the first time in American history that a sitting or former president faced criminal prosecution.

Smith’s efforts to wrap up his cases against Trump have been underway for months, likely in anticipation of Trump’s return to the White House on January 20, 2025. Trump’s legal team, on the other hand, had been working to delay proceedings, knowing that his victory in the 2024 election would strengthen his position and provide more avenues to challenge the cases. This included a lengthy legal battle over claims of presidential immunity, which culminated in a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court affirming that presidents have “absolute immunity” for official actions while in office—although it stopped short of clarifying whether Trump’s actions regarding the 2020 election were covered by that immunity.

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In addition to the January 6th charges, Trump was indicted on 40 counts related to his retention of classified documents after leaving office, but those charges were dismissed in July by a judge in Florida. Smith’s team had explored options to revive that case, but Monday’s filing marked a shift in their strategy as they moved to end the appeal of that dismissal.

While Trump has been fighting legal battles at the federal level, he is also facing state-level charges, including the 34-count Manhattan hush-money case and the 10-count election tampering case in Georgia. The Manhattan case has been delayed indefinitely, with the judge suggesting that Trump’s presidential win could lead to the case being tossed. Meanwhile, the Georgia case remains mired in legal challenges, particularly involving the actions of Democratic District Attorney Fani Willis.

Throughout these legal battles, Trump has maintained his innocence, calling the prosecutions a politically motivated “witch hunt.” As he prepares for his second presidential bid, Trump has hinted at using his power of pardon to potentially offer clemency to some of the individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riots, should he return to the White House.

This series of legal developments is a reminder of the relentless pressure Trump faces, but it also highlights the resilience of his political base, which remains unwavering in support despite the legal and media onslaughts. With the 2024 election on the horizon, Trump’s legal challenges will likely continue to play a major role in shaping the political landscape, especially as he seeks to reclaim the presidency and address the cases that have been brought against him.