MSNBC’s Joy Reid took a break from covering former President Donald Trump’s hush money case in New York on the Wednesday installment of The ReidOut’s to discuss his classified documents case and the news that Judge Aileen Cannon has postponed the trial indefinitely while she considers all the pre-trial motions and other issues related to the case. Reid responded by putting on her tinfoil hat and declaring, with no evidence whatsoever, that Trump has implicitly bribed her with a future Supreme Court appointment.
Reid asked legal analyst Joyce Vance, “If you’re Jack Smith, do you try to somehow appeal it to the 11th Circuit and get her booted?”
Vance gave a long, rambling answer that ultimately suggested such a move would, from her perspective, unfortunately not go anywhere, “You know, the best hook that Jack Smith has for an appeal would be if Judge Cannon were to make rulings that he didn’t like when it comes to whether Donald Trump can use classified information at trial. He’s got a right to appeal those. Of course, we’re in that pre-trial phase where the government needs a special hook to take an interlocutory appeal. Most sorts of issues have to wait until afterwards. So, I think what Jack Smith has been waiting for has been these rulings on the classified information.”
Cracking herself up, Reid interrupted, “She’s never going to rule.”
Vance continued, “And that is one of the issues — right. She suspended that this week. Those responses were due this week. Out of the blue, she gave Trump a continuance and so, for Jack Smith, I suspect he’s now regretting the fact that he did not try to recuse her early on when he could have.”
With absolutely zero evidence, Reid echoed an idea she floated on April 10 by following up with Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, “As the great Lawrence O’Donnell says, Eugene, the bribe is implied. She wants to be on the Supreme Court. She thinks she can get on if Donald Trump wins. She’s going to kill this case. Catch and kill as one might say.”
Also cracking himself up, Robinson began, “I know, but Aileen Cannon on the Supreme Court, come on. I mean, you know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know—”
Reid insisted, “It’s Trump. She’s done him favors.”
Robinson tried to start again, “Look, I know, I shouldn’t put anything beyond the realm of possibility.”
Interrupting again to take a cheap shot at another woman Trump appointed, Reid declared that “she has about as much experience as Amy Coney Barrett.”
Robinson then lamented, “Well, yeah, but Amy Coney Barrett’s a lot smarter than Aileen Cannon. I mean, look, this is an illustration of when a case goes before a federal judge, federal judges have enormous power. The federal judge is in charge of that case and so, this story that this case will not come to trial before the election, this story was written the day the case was assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon and it was”
In New York, whenever the judge rules against Trump it is hailed as proof that nobody, not even a former president, is above the law or rules that govern court cases, but when something doesn’t go Jack Smith’s way, it is treated as a great scandal.
Here is a transcript for the May 8 show:
MSNBC The ReidOut
5/8/2024
7:23 PM ET
JOY REID: If you’re Jack Smith, do you try to somehow appeal it to the 11th Circuit and get her booted?
JOYCE VANCE: You know, the best hook that Jack Smith has for an appeal would be if Judge Cannon were to make rulings that he didn’t like when it comes to whether Donald Trump can use classified information at trial. He’s got a right to appeal those. Of course, we’re in that pre-trial phase where the government needs a special hook to take an interlocutory appeal. Most sorts of issues have to wait until afterwards. So, I think what Jack Smith has been waiting for has been these rulings on the classified information.
REID: She’s never going to rule.
VANCE: And that is one of the issues — right. She suspended that this week. Those responses were due this week. Out of the blue, she gave Trump a continuance and so, for Jack Smith, I suspect he’s now regretting the fact that he did not try to recuse her early on when he could have.
REID: As the great Lawrence O’Donnell says, Eugene, the bribe is implied. She wants to be on the Supreme Court. She thinks she can get on if Donald Trump wins. She’s going to kill this case. Catch and kill as one might say.
EUGENE ROBINSON: I know, but Aileen Cannon on the Supreme Court, come on. I mean, you know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know—
REID: It’s Trump. She’s done him favors.
ROBINSON: Look, I know, I shouldn’t put anything beyond the realm of possibility.
REID: She has about as much experience as Amy Coney Barrett.
ROBINSON: Well, yeah, but Amy Coney Barrett’s a lot smarter than Aileen Cannon. I mean, look, this is an illustration of when a case goes before a federal judge, federal judges have enormous power. The federal judge is in charge of that case and so, this story that this case will not come to trial before the election, this story was written the day—
REID: Absolutely.
ROBINSON: — the case was assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon and it was.