Jack Smith escalates Trump DOJ clash with blistering private-event rebuke

Jack Smith escalates Trump DOJ clash with blistering private-event rebuke

The former special counsel made the remarks at a private D.C. dinner in April, reported by the New York Times

close Video

Jack Smith subpoenaed Kash Patel and Susie Wiles' phone records

Law professor Jonathan Turley weighs in on newly revealed secret subpoenas for FBI director, WH chief of staff while private citizens.

Former special counsel Jack Smith unleashed on the Department of Justice in an unusually fiery speech to a few hundred people during a private event, accusing the department of being "corrupted" and targeting President Donald Trump’s enemies.

Smith's remarks, given during a private dinner in D.C. in April and reported by the New York Times this week, zeroed in on the DOJ's decisions to investigate and prosecute some of Trump's top political rivals, such as former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The former special counsel accused the department of weaponizing its authority, the very same accusation that Republicans have widely leveled at Smith for bringing two criminal cases against Trump during the Biden administration.

"We have a Department of Justice today that targets people for criminal prosecution simply because the president doesn’t like them," Smith said.

CONSERVATIVES ACCUSE JACK SMITH OF IMPROPER TIES WITH JUDGES IN TRUMP CASES AFTER NEW DOCUMENT DUMP

Former special counsel Jack Smith testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2026. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital the department expected "nothing less from Jack Smith whose sole mission was to politically prosecute a former president in an attempt to stop him from assuming office again."
"This DOJ has ended the weaponization perpetrated by the Biden Administration and will continue to ensure no one is above the law," the spokesperson said.

Smith brought indictments against Trump alleging he illegally attempted to overturn the 2020 election and that he retained classified national defense information. Smith faced significant hurdles in the election case, while the classified documents case was tossed out by Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, who said he was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. Smith’s office was appealing Cannon’s ruling when Trump won the 2024 election. Weeks later, Smith moved to dismiss both federal cases, citing the Justice Department’s longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Trump raged at Smith repeatedly, calling him a corrupt "thug" who belonged in jail. In January, Trump said on Truth Social that Smith was a "deranged animal" who should lose his law license. Smith is a longtime attorney who prosecuted war crimes in the Hague and led the DOJ's Public Integrity Section during the Obama administration.

JACK SMITH PUSHES FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY TO CONFRONT ‘MISCHARACTERIZATIONS’ OF TRUMP PROBES

Former President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media outside the New York State Supreme Court in New York on Oct. 25, 2023, amid a civil trial with New York Attorney General Letitia James. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg)

Trump said he hoped the DOJ was investigating Smith, "including some of the crooked and corrupt witnesses that he was attempting to use in his case against me. The whole thing was a Democrat SCAM — A big price should be paid by them for what they have put our Country through!"

The president's remarks directly clash with Smith's rare, heated commentary at the private event, as both accuse the other of weaponization and as Smith faces threats of federal prosecution for targeting Trump, despite the DOJ and congressional investigators yet to uncover criminal wrongdoing by Smith.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS DEMAND ANSWERS ON DOJ'S MOVE TO FIRE FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL OFFICIALS

Smith said the DOJ has "been corrupted" over the past year but that he believed the department would "ultimately come through this better."

Smith also accused the DOJ of turning a blind eye to cases that might reveal "inconvenient" facts that would contradict "narratives the president would like to press."

Smith praised career prosecutors, saying a "central component" of the current DOJ’s strategy was to punish those like the several Minnesota attorneys who resigned in protest over internal disputes with how to handle an investigation into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent killing Renee Good, a 37-year-old anti-ICE activist.

"To erode the rule of law in this country you need to attack these people, and that is what we have seen since January 2025," Smith said.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche criticized reporters for asking questions about a viral story from The Atlantic alleging FBI Director Kash Patel has exhibited 'erratic behavior' tied to frequent intoxication, during a press conference on April 21, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Smith's comments were not all negative, however, according to the New York Times. He praised the DOJ for being more vocal than it was under Biden, a comment that comes as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who replaced Pam Bondi a month ago, has taken on an aggressive, proactive media strategy. Blanche has held a series of press conferences where he has taken rounds of off-topic questions while also doing numerous wide-ranging interviews with friendly and tough media outlets.

A Smith representative had no comment. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.

Support Everyday Chronicle
Global reporting requires independent voices. If you value our coverage, please consider a small contribution to help us grow.
​Click the button below to make a secure donation