Before charging Donald Trump with mishandling classified documents, prosecutors had to decide whether to bring the case in Washington, DC, or Florida. They chose Florida, a decision that has proven significant.
Recently, two DC federal judges revealed how differently the case might have unfolded if it had stayed in Washington. These judges showed little patience for Trump’s arguments about attorney-client privilege and grand jury secrecy, which Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida has been considering for months.
The case has been stalled for nearly a year and is unlikely to go to trial before the November election. Now, prosecutors are asking Judge Cannon to limit Trump’s comments about law enforcement and witnesses involved in the case. Trump has been making misleading suggestions that the FBI was prepared to use deadly force against him during the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago.
In a separate case related to the 2020 election, DC federal Judge Tanya Chutkan has already placed a gag order on Trump to prevent him from intimidating witnesses or harming the proceedings. Judge Cannon has yet to respond to the prosecutors’ request to limit Trump’s speech.
