Jack Smith Tells Congress Trump “Willfully” Broke the Law

Former U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith delivered blistering testimony before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, asserting that President Donald Trump “willfully broke the very laws” he swore to uphold. The high-stakes hearing marked Smith’s first extended public testimony since dropping two historic federal prosecutions after Trump’s re-election in 2024.

Jack Smith, who led investigations into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents, defended his work against fierce Republican accusations of political bias.

“Looking for Ways to Stay in Power”

At the center of Jack Smith’s testimony was the election subversion case, which accused Trump of conspiring to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. Smith told lawmakers that Trump was never searching for the truth about voter fraud claims.

“Our investigation revealed that Donald Trump was not looking for honest answers,” Jack Smith said. “He was looking for ways to stay in power.”

Jack Smith added that if faced with the same evidence again, he would prosecute a former president regardless of party affiliation. “The evidence established that he willfully broke the law,” he said.

January 6 and Trump’s Role

In remarks that echoed across Washington, Jack Smith went further, asserting that Donald Trump was “the person most responsible” for the January 6 Capitol riot. While Smith opted not to charge Trump with insurrection, he told lawmakers the violence was foreseeable and exploited by Trump in furtherance of his alleged conspiracy to remain in office.

According to Jack Smith, the investigation found that Trump knowingly spread false claims of election fraud, pressured state officials and his own vice president, and encouraged supporters whose actions culminated in the attack on the Capitol.

Republicans Cry Bias, Democrats Push Back

Republican lawmakers, led by Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, sought to paint Jack Smith’s investigation as politically motivated. They focused heavily on Smith’s decision to obtain phone “toll records” — metadata, not content — from Republican lawmakers as part of the probe.

“It was always about politics,” Jordan said, accusing Jack Smith of targeting Trump and his allies.

Jack Smith pushed back, saying the records were legally obtained and necessary to examine possible obstruction of justice. “We had grave concerns about obstruction,” he testified.

Democrats on the panel fiercely defended Smith. Representative Jamie Raskin said Trump attacked Smith “not because you did anything wrong, but because you did everything right.”

Fallout After Dropped Cases

Neither of Jack Smith’s cases reached trial. Both were dropped after Trump returned to office, citing a long-standing Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. Since then, the Trump administration has fired dozens of DOJ and FBI staff linked to the investigations.

Trump has continued to lash out at Smith, calling him a “sick guy” and urging the Justice Department to pursue action against him and cooperating witnesses.

Smith’s testimony underscored a stark warning: failing to hold powerful leaders accountable, he said, could be “catastrophic” for American democracy.