synopsis
Special counsel Jack Smith's report revealed that Donald Trump would have faced criminal convictions over his failed bid to retain power following the 2020 election—if not for his 2024 presidential victory.
Special counsel Jack Smith's report revealed that Donald Trump would have faced criminal convictions over his failed bid to retain power following the 2020 election—if not for his 2024 presidential victory.
The justice department released the explosive findings early Tuesday, highlighting Trump's controversial actions in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Smith, appointed to investigate Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election, presented a report to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Volume one of the report outlines a damning narrative of Trump’s attempts to undermine democracy, detailing how he pressured state officials, orchestrated alternate elector schemes, and encouraged his supporters to protest the election results.
Smith asserted that the evidence gathered was robust enough to secure a conviction, if not for constitutional barriers preventing the indictment of a sitting president.
“The department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a president is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the office stands fully behind,” Smith stated in the report.
He further emphasized, “Indeed, but for Mr Trump’s election and imminent return to the presidency, the office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”
While the first volume focuses on Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the election, the second volume, addressing the mishandling of classified documents, remains under seal due to ongoing legal proceedings involving Trump’s co-defendants.
A hearing is set for Thursday to determine whether this volume will be disclosed to Congress or remain confidential.
Trump and his legal team have dismissed the report, labeling it a “political hit job” aimed at disrupting the presidential transition.