Trump Seeks to Block Release of Smith Report

President-elect Donald Trump is making a concerted effort to prevent Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing a final report concerning two dismissed federal criminal cases involving Trump. Trump's attorneys sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to block the report's release, claiming it would interfere with the presidential transition and asserting that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional. Additionally, lawyers for Trump's former co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, have filed a motion in court to stop Smith from issuing the report, arguing it would be biased and based on grand jury evidence. They requested an emergency order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon by January 10 to bar the release. Trump's legal team argues that Smith's actions violate fundamental norms regarding presumption of innocence and presidential immunity. Both cases against Trump have been dismissed, raising questions about the validity of Smith's report and the motivations behind its potential release.