Trump Slams Special Counsel Jack Smith Following Miami Arraignment

Hours after pleading not guilty to a 37-count indictment on Tuesday, Donald Trump slammed Special Counsel Jack Smith in a speech held at his private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Smith, who officially brought charges against Trump on Thursday, led the investigation into the former president’s mishandling of classified documents after his term in the White House. Trump is alleged to have been uncooperative during the investigation and is being charged with lying to the FBI and attempting to obstruct justice by purposely damaging and concealing documents.

Trump was arrested and booked at the Miami federal courthouse on Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty on all counts as Smith sat in the courtroom and watched. Following the arraignment, Trump addressed the media and condemned Smith for indicting him.

“The prosecutor in the case, I will call our case, is a thug,” said Trump on Smith. “I have named him ‘Deranged Jack Smith.’ He’s a behind-the-scenes guy, but his record is absolutely atrocious. He does political hit jobs.”

He went on to pronounce Smith a “raging and uncontrolled Trump hater” and also acknowledged Smith’s wife, a documentary filmmaker who worked on a piece about former First Lady Michelle Obama.

The former president has a habit of attacking those who have dared to look into his misconduct over the years. The harsh language he used to describe Smith on Tuesday night has been directed at a number of prosecutors and judges whom he believes to be “Trump haters.”

Trump’s rhetoric throughout the past few months has been aimed at painting the investigation into the documents as biased and politically motivated. He has denounced countless FBI agents and government officials for treating him unfairly in comparison to other presidents and public figures. His supporters have backed him, and many are still prepared to vote for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, in which he is the Republican frontrunner.

Smith has stayed quiet since indicting Trump on Thursday but did speak out against the former president’s apparent lack of respect for national security.

“Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced. Violations of those laws put our country at risk,” said Smith.