'Possible floor revolt': Experts shocked by proposed trial date in Trump docs case

Special counsel Jack Smith has proposed a new trial date for the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case against former President Donald Trump: July 8.

This comes as District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who has become controversial for a series of rulings unusually favorable to the former president, is set to hear arguments about revising the trial schedule, which was originally set for May but is widely believed to be all but certain to be pushed back.

Trump's lawyers, meanwhile, have repeatedly argued the trial should wait until after the election. They've suggested a date of August 12 if it must be held this year.

Legal and political analysts on the X platform broadly felt that the newly proposed date from Smith was significant for a number of reasons.

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"1 week before the RNC convention," posted Ryan Saavedra, a senior reporter for the far-right Daily Wire.

"My view was late June but yeah, early July works," wrote attorney Bradley P. Moss. "Mind you, this would mean Trump would get the nomination while this trial was still ongoing. Talk about a possible floor revolt."

Some other commentators wondered whether this could be a sign that Smith is already resigned to the reality that the Supreme Court's new review has likely killed any chance of holding the other Trump trial, on election subversion, before the 2024 election.

"Jack Smith requests a July 8th FLA trial on the classified docs case — so he clearly does not think the DC J6 case will be possible then," wrote former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann.

Trump's allies have signaled that if he is re-elected, he will seek to have the Justice Department drop the charges. As president, he may be able to elude a trial in some of his cases.