Donald Trump achieved a significant legal victory on Monday when a federal judge dismissed one of the criminal prosecutions against him. This decision came just as he was preparing to accept the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, shortly after surviving an assassination attempt.
A U.S. judge in Florida, who was appointed by Trump, dismissed the case accusing the former president of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office. The judge ruled that the prosecutor handling the case was unlawfully appointed.
This news broke at the outset of the 2024 Republican convention in Milwaukee, where Trump will announce his vice-presidential pick and formally accept the party’s nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 5 election.
Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, are neck and neck in opinion polls. Trump continues to falsely claim that his 2020 loss to Biden was due to widespread fraud and has not committed to accepting the election results if he were to lose.
The campaign was dramatically altered on Saturday when Trump was shot in the ear at a rally in Pennsylvania by a 20-year-old gunman, whose motive remains unknown.
In response to the attempt on his life, Trump stated he is revising his acceptance speech to focus on national unity rather than highlighting differences with Biden. “This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” Trump told the Washington Examiner.
Following the judge’s decision to dismiss the documents case, Trump argued that his other pending prosecutions should also be dismissed. He is still awaiting trial in two cases: a federal prosecution in Washington and a Georgia state prosecution, both related to his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The Supreme Court’s July 1 ruling that he has immunity for many actions taken as president could complicate these cases.
Trump is also scheduled to be sentenced in New York in September for attempting to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during the weeks before his 2016 election victory.
“This dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts,” Trump posted on his Truth Social site on Monday, also referencing the prosecutions of hundreds of his supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
NO PLACE FOR VIOLENCE
In a televised address from the White House on Sunday, Biden emphasized the need to reject violence. “There is no place in America for this kind of violence, for any violence ever. Period. No exceptions. We can’t allow this violence to be normalized,” he said regarding the assassination attempt.
The shooting has shifted the focus of the presidential campaign, which had previously centered on whether Biden should drop out following a lackluster debate performance on June 27. Nearly two dozen Democrats have urged Biden to end his reelection bid, but this debate has been postponed following Saturday’s incident.
This week, the focus will be on Trump. With consolidated party control, Trump has the opportunity to deliver a unifying message or continue painting a bleak picture of a nation under siege by a corrupt leftist elite, as he has done in previous campaign speeches.
Trump has frequently used violent rhetoric, referring to a “bloodbath” and labeling his perceived enemies as “vermin” and “fascists.” He has also accused Biden, without evidence, of conspiring to overthrow the United States by encouraging illegal immigration.
Biden has often warned that a Trump victory in November would undermine the United States’ democratic system. Some Republicans argue that such comments contributed to the conditions that led to the shooting.
Investigators have been unable to identify any ideology that may have motivated 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to shoot at Trump from a rooftop outside a campaign event. Biden has ordered an independent review of how the gunman, who was shot dead by agents moments after opening fire, managed to get so close to Trump despite heavy Secret Service security at the event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The FBI reported that Crooks’ social media profiles contained no threatening language, nor did they find any history of mental health issues. They confirmed he acted alone.
Crooks worked as a nursing home aide near his hometown of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, and graduated high school with a reputation as a bright but quiet student. His guidance counselor described him as “respectful” and noted he had never known Crooks to be political.
