A federal judge has permanently blocked the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report regarding Trump’s handling of classified materials, delivering a significant legal victory to the former and current president.
According to court filings and reporting, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the Department of Justice cannot make Smith’s report public, siding with arguments that its release would be improper following the dismissal of the case.
The report stemmed from Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office. However, after the charges were dismissed, questions remained about whether the special counsel’s final report could still be released to Congress or the public.
BREAKING: Judge Cannon has permanently blocked the release of Jack Smith's classified documents report, saying it would be unfair to Trump and his former co-defendants to release it. https://t.co/5OAQvN0tmo pic.twitter.com/hmOt1hyfvQ
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 23, 2026
Judge Cannon’s decision permanently blocks that effort. In her ruling, Cannon determined that releasing the report would not be appropriate given the procedural posture of the case. The charges against Trump had already been thrown out, and the court found that allowing publication of a detailed prosecutorial report under those circumstances would raise serious concerns.
The case originally focused on classified materials stored at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida following his departure from the White House. Trump has consistently maintained that he had the authority to declassify materials as president and has described the case as politically motivated.
Smith, who was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland, had been tasked with overseeing the investigation. After filing charges against Trump related to retention of national defense information and alleged obstruction, the case encountered multiple legal hurdles.
Ultimately, the charges were dismissed — a key turning point that undercut the foundation for releasing a final prosecutorial report. In blocking the report’s release, Cannon emphasized that once the prosecution was no longer viable, there was no remaining legal justification for publishing what would effectively be a one-sided account.
The ruling follows legal arguments from Trump’s attorneys, who contended that releasing the report would violate due process and unfairly prejudice Trump, particularly given that no conviction was secured.
Trump’s legal team had argued that special counsels do not possess unlimited authority to publicly disseminate detailed investigative findings when charges are no longer pending. They asserted that doing so would amount to a public airing of allegations without a courtroom resolution.
BUSTED! This is the Moment where Jack Smith REVEALS he NEVER had a Case against Trump. The President BELIEVED he WON (lots of ppl agree btw) —-POTUS believed, therefore NOT “falsity” or False Claims. The “criminal intent” is NOT there. Excellent Job by the @judiciaryGOP!!!! pic.twitter.com/INhYJ9ogva
— Greg Kelly (@gregkellyusa) January 23, 2026
The Department of Justice had sought to release the report, which reportedly outlines Smith’s findings and prosecutorial decisions. However, the judge’s order makes clear that the report will not be made public.
This development represents another major legal chapter in the long-running dispute between Trump and federal prosecutors over classified materials. Trump has repeatedly stated that he cooperated with authorities and characterized the investigation as part of a broader effort to target him politically. He has also pointed to the Presidential Records Act and his constitutional authority as chief executive in defending his actions.
The ruling reinforces the principle that dismissed prosecutions do not automatically open the door to post-case public disclosures by special counsels. Judge Cannon’s order permanently blocks the Department of Justice from releasing Smith’s final report concerning Trump’s handling of classified documents.
The decision effectively closes this chapter of the investigation, preventing further public dissemination of the special counsel’s conclusions. While the Justice Department has not indicated whether it will pursue further legal remedies, the current ruling stands as a clear judicial barrier to the report’s release.
For Trump, the outcome halts what could have been another wave of public scrutiny tied to the now-dismissed case. For the Department of Justice and Special Counsel Jack Smith, the court’s order marks the end of the road for making the report public.
With the charges dismissed and the report blocked, the legal dispute over Trump’s handling of classified materials has reached a decisive judicial conclusion.
