An appellate court on Tuesday granted special counsel Jack Smith's request to terminate his appeal against Donald Trump related to classified documents, bringing to a close the second of the Justice Department's two criminal prosecutions against the president-elect.

This understanding of the law as a form of politics is manifest in Mr Trump’s legal appointments—together they resemble a personal-defence bar. Pam Bondi, his nominee for attorney-general, represented him during his first impeachment trial in Congress.