Trump Vows to Fire Special Counsel Jack Smith ‘Within Two Seconds’ if Reelected

Former President Donald Trump has reiterated his intention to fire special counsel Jack Smith if he is reelected in the upcoming presidential election. During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, Trump stated that he would dismiss Smith “within two seconds” of taking office.

Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is currently handling two federal cases against Trump. One case involves allegations that Trump illegally retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, which was dismissed in July but is currently being appealed. The other case accuses Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, a proceeding that has been delayed due to a Supreme Court ruling granting broad immunity to former presidents for actions taken while in office.

Trump labeled Smith a “crooked individual” and expressed his skepticism that Democrats would pursue impeachment if he were to remove Smith from his position. Trump has previously urged the termination of special counsels investigating him, notably during his presidency when he asked then-White House counsel Don McGahn to press for the termination of Robert Mueller, a request McGahn refused.

Despite Smith not being a presidential appointee, Trump could instruct the Justice Department to remove him, although this action might not be unilateral. Trump’s comments have sparked concerns about the potential halt of the federal prosecution against him and have been met with silence from Smith’s office.

The Democratic campaign, particularly that of Kamala Harris, has been leveraging the findings from Smith’s investigations to criticize Trump. Recently, Harris’s campaign released an advertisement featuring footage from the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and headlines related to Smith’s inquiry.

In response to Trump’s threats, Representative Adam Schiff from California introduced a bill last month aimed at preventing a sitting president from terminating an active criminal prosecution against themselves, though its passage through the Republican-controlled House is unlikely.