Trump trials too slow for his detractors

Muhammad Amin

Detractors who were hoping Donald Trump’s legal woes would see him conducting his presidential campaign from a jail cell are probably going to be disappointed.

Hauling a former US president to court is beset with far more difficulties than Trump’s opponents expected. Procedural delays and other legal obstacles probably mean only one of his four cases might be completed before the November election.

But the other, more serious, cases look set to be ventilated next year only.

The four criminal cases that Trump is facing have diverted him from the campaign trail, forcing him to devote most of his energies to his courtroom battles.

But they’re not having the impact Trump’s investigators promised. There’s been no devastating blow to his support, because he’s benefited from a pileup of postponements. After delays in Florida and Georgia this week, it became clear Trump’s “hush money” trial has any hope of concluding before the election.

Even that case, in which he’s accused of exaggerating his wealth to bankers to get more favourable loan terms, has been framed as a form of election interference.

The other cases – that he kept top secret documents at his private residence; that he tried to interfere in Georgia’s 2020 election; and tried to prevent a transfer of power to President Joe Biden – are now set for major delays.

The secret files case was postponed indefinitely on Tuesday as complications regarding special procedures about handling classified evidence in court became a sticking point.

The Georgia interference case has been diverted by Trump’s bid to disqualify district attorney Fani Willis. That will result in arguments lasting months, so no trial date has been set for Trump and his 14 co-defendants.

In the final case about the January 6 invasion of the Capitol, Trump has claimed presidential immunity and arguments about that and other thorny issues will probably last long into next year.