CNN Runs With Bizarre ‘Exclusive’ That States the Obvious About Trump Trial

CNN’s primetime lineup spent much of Thursday touting an “exclusive” story about Donald Trump’s looming federal trial in Florida. However, the crux of the report merely relayed what any informed observer would have assumed by now. At least one CNN chyron even called it “Breaking News.”

At issue is the former president’s federal case stemming from his retention of government documents upon leaving office. Special Counsel Jack Smith is prosecuting Trump over what he says was Trump’s willful retention of classified materials and subsequent attempts to obstruct the government from retrieving them. The ex-president has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Below is the lede of the report. Note the use of the word, “may”:

A plumber, a maid, a chauffeur and a woodworker are among Mar-a-Lago staffers and contract workers who federal prosecutors may call to testify against former President Donald Trump and his two co-defendants at their upcoming criminal trial in Florida, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation.

The story goes on to recount hazy details about some of the aforementioned workers at Mar-a-Lago. For example:

A woodworker from south Florida, for instance, installed crown molding in Trump’s bedroom in February 2022 and noticed papers, according to three sources who spoke with CNN about what he told investigators. While the stack of papers he saw may have been classified, it wasn’t entirely clear to the woodworker what he had noticed strewn about the property.

Regarding the maid and the plumber:

A maid who cleaned Trump’s suite, a plumber who has worked at the property a few days a week for years, and several other maintenance workers are also among the potential witnesses, the sources said.

As for the chauffeur:

A chauffeur was asked by investigators about powerful business-people, including foreigners, who had visited the club as VIP guests, according to one source. For instance, the chauffeur described ferrying around Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, who could also be called as a witness.

FBI agents executed a search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in August 2022, when they found boxes of government documents in various locations at the property, including a ballroom, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a storage room. Photos of the documents, which were included in the indictment, are now infamous.

Also charged in the case is Carlos de Oliveira, the property manager of Mar-a-Lago. Walt Nauta, Trump’s White House valet who continued working for him after he left office, has also been charged. Additionally, a Mar-a-Lago information technology worker named Yuscil Taveras agreed to cooperate with Smith’s investigation to avoid prosecution.

Given these previously reported facts of the case, i.e., that two Trump employees are co-defendants, that a third is cooperating with the feds, and that documents were kept in multiple locations at Mar-a-Lago, it stands to reason that there is a distinct possibility that various Mar-a-Lago employees, to use CNN’s word, may testify at trial. In fact, given what we know about the haphazard way Trump stored the documents around the property, it’s not a stretch to say that it is more than likely that employees will testify.

The CNN report also performs a sleight of hand – whether intentional or not – whereby the Mar-a-Lago employees who “may” testify become Mar-a-Lago employees who are “likely witnesses”:

While some of the witnesses who may be called to testify hail from Trump’s inner circle, including his career in business, as a political candidate and from his time in the White House, other potential witnesses are the types of workers rarely noticed by Mar-a-Lago’s wealthy guests, according to the sources.

Other likely witnesses also include Trump Secret Service agents, former intelligence officials, as well as people who were in the room with Trump when he was captured on multiple audio recordings referencing a military document about potential plans to bomb Iran, according to the sources.

“Likely witnesses” could mean either people who are likely to be witnesses at trial, or simply just people who “likely” witnessed the kinds of activity described in the indictment but who may not testify. The report does not make such a distinction.

Anyway, the idea that federal prosecutors “may” call Mar-a-Lago employees to testify in Trump’s trial is a possibility that has been more than baked in since Trump pleaded not guilty and indicated he wants to take a chance with a jury.

Watch above via CNN.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.