Trump says he’d fire Jack Smith quickly if he wins another term in office

By CNN

Published October 24, 2024 10:51 AM

CNN

By Kate Sullivan, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump said Thursday that he would use presidential powers to end Jack Smith’s probe into multiple criminal cases he’s brought against the former president, promising to fire the special counsel who has indicted him on multiple criminal charges.

“Oh, it’s so easy. It’s so easy,” Trump said when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt whether he would “pardon yourself” or “fire Jack Smith.”

“I would fire him within two seconds,” Trump said.

Smith was appointed as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee two investigations into Trump regarding his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The classified documents case was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge, but Smith is appealing.

Trump still faces charges in Smith’s election subversion case. After the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, Smith filed a superseding indictment in August that slimmed down the allegations but didn’t drop the four charges that were brought against Trump.

Trump faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

If the former president were to fire Smith, that would allow the Department of Justice and Trump’s attorney general to drop the charges against him and end the court cases.

Trump, who was convicted earlier this year of 34 felony counts in a separate New York case against him, has repeatedly claimed without evidence that the justice system is being weaponized against him because he’s running for president. But Trump has suggested on multiple occasions he would weaponize the justice system against his political rivals if reelected.

Trump’s comments to Hewitt aren’t the first time he’s suggested he would fire Smith. Trump, who frequently rails against Smith on the campaign trail, told Breitbart last July that he “wouldn’t keep” the special counsel if he were reelected.

“I wouldn’t keep him,” Trump said when asked if he would fire Smith. “Jack Smith? Why would I keep him?”

Trump has routinely on the campaign trail suggested he would weaponize the justice system to go after his political opponents if reelected. The former president has said several times he feels entitled to go after his political opponents because of his own criminal charges and has vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” President Joe Biden and his family if he wins back the White House.

Trump has also labeled his political opponents “the enemy from within” as he ramps up his rhetoric against his perceived enemies in the final stretch of the campaign. Trump has called Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi “the enemy from within” and has claimed they pose a greater threat than foreign adversaries.

Trump has gone so far as to suggest using the military to handle “the enemy from within” on Election Day, saying that he isn’t worried about chaos from his supporters or foreign actors, but instead from “radical-left lunatics.” Vice President Kamala Harris has highlighted Trump’s comments on the campaign trail as she argues he is “unstable,” “unhinged” and out for “unchecked power.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.