Jack Smith, a former special counsel, vigorously defended his case against Donald Trump during a highly anticipated session with Republican critics in Congress on Thursday, pointing to extensive evidence that Trump orchestrated a “criminal scheme” to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to AFP. Trump called him a “deranged animal” and said he should not be allowed to practice law.
Smith, who led two failed criminal prosecutions of Trump, never got a chance to argue his case in court, a televised hearing before the House Judiciary Committee giving him a long-sought platform to make his case directly to the American people.
A veteran federal prosecutor and former war crimes lawyer at The Hague, Smith told lawmakers that his investigative team had “developed evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity.”
“Rather than accept defeat in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent a lawful transfer of power,” he said. Smith added that the decision to prosecute Trump was made “without regard to President Trump’s political affiliation, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.”
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Appointed a special counsel in 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland, Smith brought charges against Trump for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, as well as in a separate case regarding the handling of classified documents.
The Republican president has denied both allegations, portraying them as politically motivated and claiming the Justice Department was used against him.
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Neither case went to trial, and Smith dismissed both after Trump won the November 2024 election, in accordance with Justice Department policy barring prosecution of a sitting president. Smith said his decision to file charges against Trump was not based on political considerations.
“If he was a Republican, his license would be revoked.
Trump took to Truth Social and said, “Deranged Jack Smith is DECIMATED in front of Congress. It was all over when they discussed his past failures and unfair prosecutions. He destroyed many lives under the guise of legitimacy. Jack Smith is a deranged animal who should not be allowed to practice law. If he were a Republican he would have his license revoked and much worse!”
Trump accused Smith of misconduct and called on the attorney general to investigate his actions, including what Trump called dishonest and corrupt witnesses involved in the case. He also dismissed the investigation as a “democracy scam” and said those responsible should face serious consequences for the damage he said it had caused to the country.
Who is Jack Smith?
Jack Smith, 56, is a U.S. attorney who has held various roles within the U.S. Department of Justice, including Assistant U.S. Attorney, Acting U.S. Attorney, and Chief of the Public Integrity Section. He also served as the lead prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialized Chambers, an international tribunal in The Hague responsible for investigating and prosecuting war crimes committed during the Kosovo war.
He graduated from Liverpool High School in 1987 where he played both football and baseball. He later studied political science at the State University of New York at Oneonta, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991, graduating summa cum laude.
Smith went on to study at Harvard Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor with honors in 1994. He began his legal career in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney before joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in 1999.
From November 18, 2022, until his resignation on January 10, 2025, Smith served as special counsel for the Department of Justice.
