Special Counsel Jack Smith (Image: DOJ)
Special Counsel Jack Smith reportedly sat front row at Donald Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday. Journalists have said that Smith “stared towards the former president for essentially the entire appearance.”
A Miami grand jury indicted Trump on 37 counts on Thursday. The former president is alleged to have taken documents containing classified national security information from the White House and is also accused of lying to FBI officials and obstructing justice by concealing and destroying documents.
He was arrested and booked on Tuesday at the Miami federal courthouse. He pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to lead the investigation into the documents, as well as Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
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Smith has already made history by indicting Trump, as he is the first former president to ever face criminal charges.
Trump has repeatedly taken aim at Smith, accusing the entire investigation of being illegitimate and politically motivated.
“This is the Thug, overturned consistently and unanimously in big cases, that Biden and his CORRUPT Injustice Department stuck on me,” wrote Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social. “He’s a Radical Right Lunatic and Trump Hater, who probably ‘planted’ information in the ‘boxes’ given to them.”
Upon returning to his private golf club in New Jersey following his arraignment on Tuesday, Trump criticized the investigation and charges brought against him
“Today we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of our country,” Trump stated. “Very sad thing to watch… It’s a political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation.”
Smith has made very few comments since indicting Trump on Thursday but has acknowledged that Trump is entitled to due process.
“We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone. Applying those laws, collecting facts – that’s what determines the outcome of an investigation, nothing more, nothing less,” said Smith.
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