The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

I think a lot of people are catastrophising over this issue without adequate cause but I can’t summon the energy to talk people out of it. https://t.co/06PEBLmMyi

— MostlyRedactedHat (@Popehat) August 27, 2022

What Popehat meant:

This is true. At every turn Trump has gotten and continues to get legal courtesy and deference that literally no “ordinary” person would get https://t.co/RarqEU6xM1

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 27, 2022

Nah.

I don’t think this amounts to much either way. It’s effectively an indication that the judge wants to hear from DOJ and is going to have a hearing. I assume DOJ will say the search is done, so there’s no search left for a special master to oversee. But we’ll know more soon. pic.twitter.com/8U6l50zqtq

— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) August 27, 2022

Judge Cannon is going out of her way to accommodate Trump’s legal team here, and in the end my money is still on her denying relief.

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) August 27, 2022

Honestly I think this “out of her way” characterization is just Trump animus. I mean, I get it, but it’s neither reasoned nor informed analysis. Unless, as I say, you see the Court treating Trump like he has no counsel. Which is really quite a brutal slap at his attorneys. It also quickly disposes of this case, which I think the court rather wants.

As expected: A joint DOJ-ODNI review of the Mar-a-Lago documents is happening now, with the ODNI leading a damage assessment.

Thanks for reporting, @MarshallCohen pic.twitter.com/B54pzaWWo0

— David Priess (@DavidPriess) August 27, 2022

That gets us a lot closer.

By now, the Privilege Review Team (as referenced in the redacted SW affidavit) likely has already reviewed the seized materials.

To prepare a “detailed inventory” per the court order, all seized materials will have to be catalogued thereby negating need for a Special Master. https://t.co/NMIWktszv5

— Katie S. Phang (@KatiePhang) August 28, 2022

Katie Phang argues the upshot of the order is a null set. Professor Vladeck thinks there’ll be a review of what might need to be returned to Trump, at best. Either way, the end is the same. And at the other extreme:

New Trump Florida filing opens a wide door for DOJ to walk through: AG Garland can now “speak in its filings” and address all the factual lies and misrepresentations.

— Andrew Weissmann 🌻 (@AWeissm ann_) August 22, 2022

Yeah, I’m in the Phang/Vladeck camp. This will be a Pyrrhic victory for Trump, at best. And there won’t be any fireworks in the courtroom. I expect the case to be over by the time of the hearing; but I’ll admit I’m venturing out on a limb to say that. Because really, who knows?

And why don’t we all just wait and see?