Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he’ll immediately fire Special Counsel Jack Smith if he gets back into the White House, underscoring how Trump’s election is likely to ensure the ex-president will never go to trial in the two federal criminal cases against him.
Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on August 1, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Trump said in an interview Thursday with conservative podcast host Hugh Hewitt he “would fire [Smith] within two seconds” if he wins.
Hewitt had asked Trump if he would rather pardon himself if elected or fire Smith, which Trump said was an “easy” choice.
Smith is leading the federal government’s two criminal cases against Trump, one for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and another for allegedly mishandling White House documents, which Smith is now appealing after Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case.
Trump has widely decried the cases against him as “witch hunts” and slammed Smith, calling him a “thug,” and it’s been widely anticipated that Trump would appoint Justice Department officials if elected who would have the federal charges against Trump dropped.
Trump’s comments follow other suggestions by the ex-president that he would fire Smith, telling Breitbart News in 2023 he “wouldn’t keep” Smith if he won a second term and calling the special counsel “deranged.”
The Justice Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.
This story is breaking and will be updated.