'President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation': Jack Smith defends Trump prosecution before Congress

Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of Donald Trump before Congress on Tuesday (September 29), saying investigators had developed evidence that Trump committed serious crimes. "Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation," he added. Smith said he made his prosecutorial decisions without considering Trump's political affiliation, activities, beliefs or 2024 presidential candidacy.

"I made those decisions without regard to President Trump's political association, activities, beliefs or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election," he said. Smith was forced to halt two federal investigations involving Trump after Trump won re-election in November 2024. One focused on efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, while the other examined Trump's retention of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021.

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Speaking before the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, Smith also warned about what he described as unprecedented challenges to the rule of law. "As I appear before you today, it is my belief that the rule of law faces challenges unlike any we have experienced in our lifetime," Smith said. He also criticised the vilification of the agents, prosecutors, and staff who worked on his investigations.

"I myself have been threatened with jail by the president of the United States," Smith said. Despite those challenges, Smith said he remained confident in the resilience of the legal system. "I remain confident that the rule of law will endure because so many continue to uphold it faithfully each day throughout our legal system," the former prosecutor said. Trump and his Republican allies have characterised Smith's investigations as part of what they call the weaponization of the justice system during Joe Biden's presidency.