Jack Smith warns rule of law under attack

Former special counsel Jack Smith, who led federal investigations into Donald Trump, warned in a televised interview that the rule of law is facing an unprecedented attack and expressed deep concern about potential interference in the upcoming midterm elections. The interview, conducted by Nicolle Wallace on her MS NOW program on Thursday, July 2, 2026, was Smith's first since resigning from the Justice Department shortly before Trump's second inauguration last year.

Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, said the standards for administering justice had historically remained consistent until Trump's presidency. He stated that he conducted his investigations into Trump's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election by focusing solely on facts and law, the same approach he used throughout his career. Both cases were dismissed after Trump returned to office.

He expressed alarm over what he described as the Justice Department's shift under Trump, including indictments of political opponents and the firing of over 35 career prosecutors and staff who had worked on his investigations. Smith...