President-elect Donald Trump sharply criticized special counsel Jack Smith on Sunday after a federal appeals court cleared the way for Attorney General Merrick Garland to release Smith’s election subversion report as early as Monday.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump questioned Smith’s legitimacy in drafting the report, which has already been provided to Garland. “Why would Deranged Jack Smith be allowed to issue a ‘report’ on a complete and total Witch Hunt against me, strictly for political purposes, when he was thrown off the case and ultimately dismissed by the DOJ,” Trump wrote.
Trump claimed the report was part of a politically motivated effort against him, saying, “Therefore, to put it nicely, he was illegitimately involved in this political persecution, and all of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent by our hapless government were, simply put, wasted!”
The post continued with Trump reiterating his claims of widespread support, adding, “He has already filled thousands of rejected statements and documents against me, which were a ‘joke,’ and the public just voted for me, in a landslide, to be their President!”
Attorney General Garland has indicated his intention to release portions of the report related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. However, parts of the report concerning the mishandling of classified documents are not expected to be made public.
Trump’s remarks come as his supporters and critics alike await the potential fallout from the report’s release. Smith’s investigation focused on Trump’s role in attempting to subvert the 2020 election results, a matter that has been central to ongoing legal and political battles.
Trump’s claims of political persecution have been a consistent theme in his rhetoric, resonating with his base and fueling ongoing mistrust of federal institutions. His latest comments amplify the tension surrounding Smith’s work and Garland’s decision to make parts of the report public.
As the deadline for the report’s release looms, the political and legal implications remain uncertain. Trump’s criticism highlights the divide over the investigation and its findings, setting the stage for further controversy as the details become available to the public.