Sen. Eric Schmidt has argued that President-elect Donald Trump should begin an effort to fire Justice Department officials who handled criminal cases against him after he is sworn into office.
The Missouri Republican, who previously served as the state's attorney general, has argued that Justice Department officials handling the case against Trump are working to undermine the will of voters.
“And the people who are part of this effort to keep President Trump from voting and throw him in prison for life because they don't like his politics, and who continue to denounce President Trump as a 'threat to democracy,' “That was wrong. So we'll see how it goes,” Schmidt said Sunday on NBC's “Meet the Press.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith oversaw the Justice Department's two indictments against Trump, including the 40-count Mar-a-Lago documents case and the four 2020 election subversion cases.
Charges of storing classified documents were dismissed by a Florida judge, and the 2020 election destruction case resumed where it left off just before the Nov. 5 election. Following Trump's victory, the 2020 case was again paused.
Now, Smith reportedly intends to conclude both cases and resign before Trump returns to the White House.
“[The indictments] Everything collapsed under the weight of the law. That's why I think accountability is necessary. “I think it's important to get back to fighting crime, but we also have to take responsibility for this kind of abuse,” Schmidt said.
In theory, as president, Trump could tell the Justice Department to drop the charges against him. As a result, his defense team's strategy was widely seen as an effort to delay it for as long as possible.
In addition to Mr. Smith's indictment against Mr. Trump, there are two other indictments, a 34-count hush money case and a 10-count 2020 Georgia election fraud case, which are at the state level and therefore against Trump as president. It's beyond my reach.
Sentencing in the hush-money case in which Trump was convicted has been postponed indefinitely, with the judge considering whether to overturn the sentence in its entirety. Meanwhile, the Georgia case remains stalled, pending a challenge to Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis. The state Court of Appeals has suspended oral argument in the case until further notice.
President Trump, 78, has mused about targeting individuals like Smith for “election interference” and “prosecutor misconduct.”
“If I win, those who committed wrongdoing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including lengthy prison terms. This legal crackdown will target lawyers, political operatives, donors, Please note this also extends to illegal voters and corrupt election officials,” he posted on Truth Social in September.
President Trump originally nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), a former flame marketer, to head the Justice Department. However, following the upheaval over sex-trafficking allegations against him (which he denies), it became clear that Gates lacked the votes in the Senate and he was forced to resign.
The president-elect then announced that he would nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be attorney general in his place.
Mr. Schmidt, whose name has been thrown around in AG rumors, has vowed to support Mr. Bondi.
“I'm going to help Pam Bondi get out the vote. I know her well. She's a friend. I've come to respect Pam Bondi. She's one of Florida's great He was the attorney general. This is a home run for President Trump.”
During the 2024 campaign, Trump occasionally told voters he would be “revengeful.” Now that Trump has won, he suggests his revenge will be to help the country succeed.
“Many others are calling for a rally, but I am not looking for retaliation, bigotry, or the destruction of those who have treated me so unfairly or so badly beyond comprehension. I’m not asking for it.” President Trump told Fox News.
“I always want to give a second chance, even a third chance, but I'm never going to give a fourth chance. That's where I stand.”
