President Donald Trump went after former special counsel Jack Smith on Monday, calling for Smith to be prosecuted and accusing him of wrongdoing in connection with investigations into Trump.
“Based on his testimony today, there is no question that Deranged Jack Smith should be prosecuted for his actions. He destroyed the lives of many innocent people, which has been his history as a prosecutor. At a minimum, he committed large scale perjury!” Trump wrote.
Trump’s comments followed Smith’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, where Smith laid out the conclusions of his investigations into Trump’s conduct surrounding the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office.
During testimony, Smith said Trump “caused Jan. 6,” arguing that Trump knowingly took advantage of unrest in an effort to stay in power and interfere with the peaceful transfer of authority.
Smith also insisted his decisions were not driven by politics, pointing to Republican witnesses who confirmed the legitimacy of the 2020 election results despite pressure from Trump. He defended the use of investigative tools such as reviewing phone toll records, describing them as routine in cases involving conspiracy and obstruction.
“President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the law — the very laws he took an oath to uphold,” Smith told lawmakers.
Turning to the classified-documents case, Smith said sensitive materials were improperly stored at Mar-a-Lago and alleged that Trump sought to obstruct justice by concealing them.
Trump, meanwhile, framed Smith’s testimony as politically motivated and attacked Smith as a prosecutor with a record of harming innocent people. He repeated allegations of perjury but did not cite specific statements he believes were false. Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing related to January 6 and the handling of classified documents.
Reaction inside the committee split largely along party lines. Republican members condemned the hearing as biased, while Democrats said Smith’s testimony underscored the legal and factual basis for the indictments. Smith’s appearance also reinforced the broader argument that a former president can still face accountability under U.S. law.
Trump’s post suggests he plans to keep treating Smith’s testimony as a personal and political assault as legal fights and partisan debate continue over January 6 and the investigations tied to it.
