'Slow boat to nowhere': CNN commentator blasts Aileen Cannon for 'absurd' trial pace

The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents case was accused Thursday of captaining a boat that she is intentionally rowing in slow motion, despite denying Trump's motion to dismiss.

Former federal prosecutor and CNN commentator Jeffrey Toobin explained why he believes the criminal case involving accusations that Trump and two of his close aides obstructed the feds after hoarding classified documents taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago — is going nowhere fast.

And he lays the blame on U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.

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Toobin said: "She hasn't said yet, but at the rate she's going and the way she's letting the lawyers talk on and on about some of these motions is just absurd ... but all of them have to be decided before a trial date takes place, and she hasn't set a trial date and this case continues to be on a slow boat to nowhere."

He noted that Cannon's pace has been "leisurely" and even allowed the defense to make a fuss on Thursday to consider the relevance of special counsel Jack Smith prosecuting the case to begin with.

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"I mean, the idea that it's unconstitutional for Jack Smith to be supervising this case — he's a Justice Department employee," Toobin said.

Cannon ruled on an unconstitutional vagueness motion filed by Trump's defense, stating that while it warranted "serious consideration" she did not want to "prematurely decide" on it.

Toobin's molasses-paced criticism was echoed by former Judge Nancy Gertner.

"So these are motions that could have been disposed of quickly," she said. "These are motions that are not raising issues that are extraordinary and they could have been disposed of quickly.

"And what she's done is she's allowing lengthy hearings on motions that really could be just taken care of and, if she does that with respect to the others, then we are talking about a delay."

She continued: "What is interesting about what she said though, is that she's kicking all of this to the trial itself and the trial, we could well be a mess allowing Trump to raise defenses that really no one else would be allowed to raise, essentially scuttling the trial if she ever gets to one and that of course is an open question."

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