Trump Set To Fire Jack Smith And His Team After Inauguration: Report
President-elect Donald Trump reportedly intends to dismiss the entire team led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, including Smith himself, while launching an investigation into the results of the 2020 election, which saw his defeat by President Joe Biden.
According to The Washington Post, Trump’s plans extend to terminating career attorneys within the Justice Department—individuals who are typically shielded from political retaliation.
“He wants to clean out ‘the bad guys, the people who went after me,’” a source close to the president-elect revealed.
Smith’s team, which comprises dozens of attorneys, FBI agents, and staff, largely consists of individuals assigned to the cases rather than those who volunteered for the role, the report said.
“President Trump campaigned on firing rogue bureaucrats who have engaged in the illegal weaponization of our American justice system, and the American people can expect he will deliver on that promise,” Karoline Leavitt, the president-elect’s press secretary, stated to The Post.
In a move signaling future congressional scrutiny, House Republicans previously directed Justice Department officials to preserve communications of those involved in the Trump investigations, including Smith’s team, according to the report.
Trump also reportedly plans to direct the DOJ to investigate the 2020 election, maintaining his longstanding claims of widespread fraud. Despite numerous investigations finding no evidence of significant voter fraud, Trump and many of his allies in the GOP continue to allege the election was stolen.
Meanwhile, Smith is reportedly preparing to step down as special counsel after resolving the cases against Trump.
A Justice Department insider told CNN that Smith is discussing his departure with DOJ leadership, aiming to wrap up both the Jan. 6 case and his appeal of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s dismissal of the classified documents case. Cannon’s ruling found Smith’s appointment unconstitutional and deemed his office’s funding a violation of the law.
“Trump has threatened to fire Smith, but Smith expects to be gone before Trump takes office,” CNN reported.
Smith’s discussions with DOJ officials include broader questions about the special counsel’s office, its budget, and what happens to other defendants involved in the classified documents case.
Before stepping down, Smith is required to submit a report detailing his work to Attorney General Merrick Garland. However, the report’s completion may face delays if it requires review and approval by the intelligence community. Smith reportedly aims to finalize the report before Trump’s inauguration, with Garland determining whether any portions will be made public.
The New York Times first reported Smith’s plans to resign from his position.
As president, Trump will regain protections against prosecution under longstanding DOJ policy, which asserts that a sitting president cannot be criminally charged. A Supreme Court ruling earlier this year further reinforced this, granting Trump “absolute” immunity from prosecution for actions within his constitutional powers as president.
Smith faces pressing decisions regarding the two criminal cases against Trump. In Florida, he is appealing Cannon’s dismissal of the classified documents case. In Washington, D.C., his team continues to pursue charges accusing Trump of orchestrating a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election—efforts complicated by the Supreme Court’s affirmation of presidential immunity.