CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig on Wednesday outlined what legal issues former President Donald Trump could face if he does not secure a reelection victory in November.
Trump currently faces four criminal cases, with two involving the 2020 presidential election, one pertaining to the 2016 presidential election and another relating to classified documents. Honig, on “CNN News Central,” said Trump could sidestep dealing with these cases if he is victorious, but that he will need to face all of them if he loses, particularly his two federal cases. (RELATED: Jack Smith Urges Appeals Court To Revive Trump Docs Case, Defends His Special Counsel Position)
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CNN’s Elie Honig Lays Out Legal ‘Stakes For Donald Trump’ If He Loses Election pic.twitter.com/ipUqvor4ec
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“It’s such a good reminder of the stakes for Donald Trump the individual. Because if he wins, he’s president and these cases all go away or get put on indefinite long-term hold. But if he loses, he’s going to have to contend with all four of these cases,” Honig said. “Now, the case we’ve been talking about, the January 6 case, that’ll take a while to go through the process we just discussed, but I think it will ultimately make it to trial, but you and I are going to be standing here in 2026, possibly, talking about that trial.”
Special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday submitted a superseding indictment in Trump’s 2020 election interference case. It contains the identical four conspiracy and obstruction charges as the original, but was slimmed down due to the Supreme Court’s July presidential immunity ruling finding presidents possess immunity from prosecution for official acts they take while in office.
“The other federal case, the classified documents case, currently dismissed. Jack Smith filed a brief a couple of days ago asking to revive it, and I think he’ll win on that. I think he’ll get that case reinstated, but again, we’re looking at trial late 2025, 2026,” Honig added.
Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, in July dismissed Trump’s classified documents case based on the former president’s defense’s claim that Smith was not lawfully appointed, asserting that it breaches the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
“I think both state cases are in serious trouble. Obviously, the Manhattan case is over. We have potentially sentencing in a few weeks, but I think there’s going to be a major appeal issue,” Honig continued. “I think there’s a good chance that case gets reversed and the Georgia case, I think we’ve seen the last of, I think that case is going to get thrown out … If he loses, I think it’s very likely he’s going to have two federal trials late 2025, early 2026.”
Honig said on Tuesday that it wouldn’t surprise him if a Georgia appeals court tosses Trump’s election interference case in the state based on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ racism allegations against the former president’s legal team.
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