Former special counsel Jack Smith has broken his silence, and he's not mincing words. In his first interview since leaving the Department of Justice in early 2025, Smith warned that the rule of law is under an unprecedented assault and expressed deep worries about the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections.
Sitting down with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Thursday, Smith didn't hold back. "I think we are facing an attack on the rule of law that is different in kind and scope to anything I've seen in my lifetime," he said. He lamented seeing public servants vilified simply for doing their jobs—especially those who worked on cases that rubbed President Trump and his allies the wrong way. Smith stressed the need to support these individuals and remind them that they have backing from many people.
Smith also zeroed in on election integrity, saying he is "very concerned" about the next election. He highlighted the critical role state attorneys general play in ensuring the rule of law is upheld ahead of the midterms.
Trump Cases Were Guided By Law, Says Smith
Smith, who previously prosecuted President Donald Trump in two criminal cases before Trump returned to the White House, hinted that an indictment against him "could happen" given the President's hostility. But he added, "I'm not going to be intimidated." Defending his work, Smith said he handled the cases based solely on the facts and the law, stressing that prosecutorial standards should remain consistent across administrations. Politics, he insisted, played no role—he would have pursued the cases regardless of the subject's political affiliation.
Smith Questions DOJ Retributions
Smith didn't stop there. He called the DOJ's indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James "retribution prosecutions." In May, Comey was conditionally excused from a court appearance on charges of threatening Trump, after he said he had already appeared before a judge in Virginia on the same allegations. Meanwhile, in June, Letitia James sued the Trump administration over a controversial deal with TotalEnergies (TTE), alleging it was detrimental to the environment and union jobs. Smith's concerns add to a growing chorus of voices uneasy about the administration's approach to justice.
