President-elect Trump criticized special counsel Jack Smith for his resignation from the Justice Department, calling him a “disgrace” to himself and the country.
Smith’s resignation was made public in a court filing on Saturday.
A footnote in the filing mentioned, “The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10.”
Trump used his social media platform, Truth Social, to condemn Smith for investigating the incoming president.
SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH RESIGNS AFTER 2-YEAR STINT AT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a news conference at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“Deranged Jack Smith was fired today by the DOJ. He is a disgrace to himself, his family, and his Country. After spending over $100,000,000 on the Witch Hunt against TRUMP, he left town empty handed!” Trump remarked.
Smith was named by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 to probe Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and his mishandling of classified documents.
Prior to the recent resignation, Smith served as acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee in 2017 during Trump’s initial administration.
The resignation precedes the release of Smith’s report on the case linked to Trump’s role in the Capitol attack. A court filing disclosed that Garland intends to publish the report soon, possibly before Trump assumes office next week.
Jack Smith, US special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“As I have made clear regarding every Special Counsel who has served since I took office, I am committed to making as much of the Special Counsel’s report public as possible, consistent with legal requirements and Department policy,” Garland stated in a recent letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
A federal appeals court judge ruled on Friday against blocking the release of Smith’s report.
After Trump’s election victory in November, Smith filed motions to wrap up his cases against the president-elect.
In late November, Smith requested a judge to dismiss the charges against Trump in the Capitol riot case after previously filing a motion to vacate all deadlines in anticipation of Trump’s electoral win.
TRUMP PRESSES GOP TO SWIFTLY SEND ‘ONE POWERFUL BILL’ FOR HIS SIGNATURE ASAP
Special Counsel Jack Smith announces an indictment of former President Donald Trump during a press conference on August 1, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
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Trump remarked that the dropped cases “should never have been brought.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump mentioned, “These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought. It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
