Joe Scarborough was angry on Monday's Morning Joe, that a Trump-appointed judge might prevent his "walls are closing in" scenario for Trump, with a happy Lock Him Up ending for the MSNBC crowd.
"Obviously a bizarre, a bizarre appointment for this judge, Cannon. I mean the fact there are, I think, 15 different [judges who were in the selection pool. You and I both know that you get the luck of the draw on this. And the odds of this woman getting this, with 15? Come on, man."
That's the selection of Aileen Cannon as the judge in the trial of Donald Trump on federal criminal charges relating to his handling of classified documents. Back in September, she ordered the appointment of a special master to review the documents seized by the FBI in its search of Mar-a-Lago. Her ruling was overturned by the 11th Circuit.
So, Joe, if not the luck of the draw, what was it? The dastardly deed of the deep state? A hoax? Maybe a witch hunt against Jack Smith?
Interestingly, both of Scarborough's expert guests—neither being in any way a Trump fan—shot down Joe's fevered fantasy.
Former US Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said:
"I don't know that it's anything but luck of the draw, Joe. I don't know that. If it's something else, if it's, if it's something nefarious, that'll come out. It always does."
Rosenberg added "there's a big difference between a bad judge and an unprincipled judge. And I can't tell you right now that I believe she's unprincipled. She may just be a bad judge. She may be just not very good at her job." Like morning cable hosts who throw out conspiracy theories that get shot down.
Palm Beach County Attorney Dave Aronberg [an elected Democrat] was even more emphatic in rejecting Scarborough's Florida fantasy. He began by pointing out that Scarborough simply had his facts wrong. Cannon was not picked out of a pool of 15 judges, as Scarborough claimed. There were only four judges in the pool of possible selections. Concluded Aronberg flatly:
"There's no conspiracy here. I know the clerk of court down there, Ms. Noble, and she's awesome, she's honest. And this is a random assignment. It's just bad luck.There's no conspiracy here . . . It's just bad luck."
The fact that Aronberg saw the selection of Cannon as "bad luck" further demonstrates his anti-Trump leanings, thus bolstering the objectivity of his opinion.
So, sorry, Joe!—but nice try as always for Team Liberal Media!
On Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough denying that it was simply the luck of the draw that a Trump appointee was selected as the judge in his trial on federal charges regarding his handling of classified documents was sponsored in part by ADT, Constant Contact, Purple Mattresses, and Volvo.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
6/12/23
6:20 am EDTJOE SCARBOROUGH: Let, let, let me ask you, though. Obviously a bizarre, a bizarre appointment for this judge, Cannon. I mean the fact there are, I think, 15 different [judges who were in the selection pool."
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: She's definitely the judge?
SCARBOROUGH: Fifteen. That's the first thing I want to ask.
. . .
They [the 11th Circuit, in overturning a previous ruling by Judge Cannon regarding the appointment of a special master] basically say this woman just violated bedrock principles in the Constitution to try to protect Donald Trump. It was one of the most scathing, scathing, rulings I've ever seen, overturning a lower court's ruling. And this person's in charge of the case? Does she stay in charge throughout the entire case?
CHUCK ROSENBERG: Probably so, Joe. So the 11th Circuit, I read their opinion, too, was not gentle until their review of her actions. I read what she did, and what they said about what she did. And they had it right!
Now, look, there's a big difference between a bad judge and an unprincipled judge. And I can't tell you right now that I believe she's unprincipled. She may just be a bad judge. She may be just not very good at her job.
Look, there are dentists and airline pilots who are really good, and there are dentists and airline pilots who are awful.
MIKA: That doesn't make anyone feel better.
SCARBOROUGH: You and I both know that you get the luck of the draw on this. And the odds of this woman getting this, with 15, come on, man.
How did, how did this woman of all women, of all judges who, again, probably put down the worst, the worst ruling, had the, again, the 11th Circuit, one of the most conservative Circuits. How could that judge be assigned this? It seems far from luck of the draw.
ROSENBERG: Well, look, I don't know that it's anything but luck of the draw, Joe. I don't know that. If it's something else, if it's, if it's something nefarious, that'll come out. It always does.
. . .
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Dave Aronberg, as you well know, the chief clerk of the federal court system in the southern district of Florida confirmed that judge Cannon would -- this is her trial unless she were to recuse herself. So it seems like that's a done deal. Give us your thoughts on that, and also just preview, please, what we're going to see tomorrow in this historic moment, when a former President of the United States appears in a courthouse to face federal charges.
DAVE ARONBERG: Yeah, Jonathan, I want to show you. This is the sheet where Jack Smith checked the box for the court division, and here he checked West Palm Beach, and that's why judge Cannon had a really good chance at getting this.
It wasn't 1-out-of-15, Joe. It was 1-out-of-4. Four judges who are in that West Palm Beach division. And it depends on workload.
So, there's no conspiracy here. I know the clerk of court down there, Ms. Noble, and she's awesome, she's honest. And this is a random assignment. It's just bad luck.
