Special Counsel Jack Smith has expressed his dissatisfaction with former President Donald Trump’s request for a substantial delay in his classified documents case. Smith’s response, as stated in a motion, contends that Trump’s request threatens to disrupt the entire trial schedule and effectively seeks a postponement until May 20, 2024.
Smith’s remarks come in response to Trump’s legal team’s argument that pre-trial hearing deadlines should be extended to address emerging legal issues, including an application for a protective order regarding Trump’s comments concerning witnesses and jurors. Trump faces allegations of illegally storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Smith, while open to a brief delay, argues that Trump is requesting an excessively lengthy extension.
According to the motion, Trump’s arguments “exaggerate the complexity of anticipated pre-trial discovery litigation and are meritless. The defendants already possess ample discovery to provide the Court with a description of the type of information they consider relevant and helpful. The defendants’ motion can and should be denied on this ground alone.”
During an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan urged the GOP to prioritize policy victories over budget disputes. Jordan pointed out that the government funding deadline is approaching with less than a week to go. The House has introduced only four appropriations bills to establish the government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year starting on October 1, with eight more yet to move forward. Jordan also suggested the possibility of including measures in a spending bill that could reduce or eliminate funding for Special Counsel Jack Smith’s operation.
“Well, there’s been, there’s been a fight over the number. What level we’re actually going to fund at? Look, I want to reduce spending too. I know what the debt problem is. But in a divided government, there’s been a number that’s agreed on to fund the government,” Jordan said.
“And frankly, it’s less than the year before, which is, which is a huge step when you got divided when, when, when we control one-half of one-third of the government by five votes. And we’ve actually got to negotiate a number that’s less than Joe Biden and the Democrats spent last year. I think that’s a win. So let’s hold on to that number if we can. There’s some, there’s some debate within our conference, and I get that, let’s hold on to that number if we can. But let’s win the policies,” he added.
“The other policy frankly, we should consider putting on these bills is the policy that says you can’t, you can’t fund the attack on your political opponent, which is exactly what Joe Biden is doing when he’s funding this Jack Smith operation going after his political opponent,” Jordan continued.
Jordan also addressed the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Since President Joe Biden assumed office, approximately two million immigrants have entered the country and have subsequently been released.
According to the latest report from Operation Lone Star, a multi-agency program focused on addressing illegal border crossings along the Texas border, there have been over 457,500 apprehensions of illegal immigrants since March 2021.
“Well, everyone wants to get the 12 appropriation bills done. I’m all for that, that’s how we should operate, but, frankly, we’re not going to get it done in the next six days, so there’s going to have to be some stopgap measure,” Jordan said.
“The speaker has said: ‘Let’s go for a 30-day [continuing resolution], but let’s win some policies when we do it, let’s do something that actually benefits the entire country.’ And everyone knows what that issue is. This is literally politics 101. One really good issue beats fifteen pretty good issues every single time, and the one really good issue right now is the problem on our border,” he explained.
“And, again, Maria, if we say no money can be used to process or release any new migrants into the country, we’re going to stop it, we’re going to fix the problem, we send it over there, and Chuck Schumer says no to it, then he’s in essence saying it’s more important to shut down the government than it is to secure our border,” Jordan reasoned as he explained what will likely transpire this week. “I don’t think the American people are there.”
