Trump’s Jan. 6 case put on hold during appeals process and Jack Smith isn’t thrilled

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan signed an order that will effectively pause Donald Trump‘s election interference case in Washington, D.C, which will cause proceedings to lay dormant until the case’s appeals process comes to a conclusion. In opposition to this decision, special counsel Jack Smith is of the belief, per ABC News, that “certain filings could still move forward to keep the case on track for the March 4 trial date,” and tapped in the Supreme Court earlier this week, asking for them to intervene and resolve the matter in an expedited fashion.  

In a statement that came with her signed order, Chutkan made it clear that the pause in the case does not also mean that protective orders that have been put in place regarding Trump’s actions will also be paused, meaning that his limited gag order and conditions of his release are still very much in place. 

“This is a big win for President Trump and our rule of law, as it derails Deranged Jack Smith’s rush to judgment strategy of interfering in the 2024 Presidential Election in support of Joe Biden’s campaign,” the Trump campaign said in a statement. “They waited almost three years to bring this hoax ‘case’ and are now desperately trying, and failing, to rush it because they know President Trump is dominating the election,” the statement furthers. 

Trump’s team’s overall goal in this case is to have it dismissed on the basis of what they view as “presidential immunity,” claiming that he shouldn’t be charged for actions he took within the “outer perimeter” of his official duties as president.