President Trump responds to Jack Smith’s subpoena
Smith’s attorney said in a statement that his client volunteered to answer questions from lawmakers about the investigation at the hearing.
Former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers that President Donald Trump was responsible for the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and staunchly defended efforts to prosecute him, according to newly released transcripts of his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
Regarding Trump’s alleged guilt in the Capitol riot, Smith said, “Our view of the evidence is that Mr. Trump caused and exploited the incident and that it was foreseeable to Mr. Trump.”
Smith testified privately to the committee earlier this month. The committee released video of the deposition and 255 pages of records on Wednesday, December 31st.
During his deposition, Smith adamantly denied that prosecutors were politically motivated and rejected suggestions that he was trying to influence the 2024 election. President Trump has repeatedly criticized Smith, calling him “crazy” and “a freak” who was “used by crooked Joe Biden to attack his political opponents.”
“I would never take orders from a political leader to interfere with another person in an election. That’s not who I am,” Smith said in the affidavit.
Smith filed two lawsuits against Trump in 2023, alleging that Trump illegally kept classified documents and tried to overturn his 2020 election loss. He dropped the case after Trump wins in 2024, pointing to the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
In his opening statement, Smith said the investigation had gathered “evidence beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Trump “engaged in a criminal scheme” to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He added that investigators “have uncovered strong evidence that President Trump intentionally retained highly classified documents after he left office in January 2021.”
The Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), subpoenaed Smith for public testimony. The committee instead held testimony in private.
Republicans have criticized the investigation, citing recent revelations that phone records of Republican senators were obtained by Smith, telling the committee that the records were “relevant to completing a comprehensive investigation.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment.
Contributor: Aisha Bagki
