Special counsel Jack Smith is “grasping at straws” with the latest superseding indictment against former President Donald Trump, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson. On Tuesday, Smith’s team unveiled a new, streamlined indictment accusing Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The revised charges come in the wake of a summer Supreme Court ruling that affirmed former presidents have broad immunity for official acts performed while in office, told CNN.
The updated indictment removed some allegations that would be difficult to prove under the Court’s new standards. Despite the changes, Trump’s response was characteristically fiery. He dismissed the re-indictment as a “resurrection” of a “witch hunt,” a sentiment echoed by several of his staunch allies, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Speaker Johnson. Johnson, in particular, defended Trump, calling him “the most persecuted politician in the history of our country.”
“Today, after getting two of his cases thrown out by the courts, Jack Smith is grasping at straws once again,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday night. “Just 70 days before the election, Smith has brought yet another bogus indictment. Americans are sick of this corruption and shameless lawfare.”
Johnson continued his critique, accusing Smith’s team of using the justice system for political ends rather than seeking justice. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have set a dangerous, destructive precedent by weaponizing the Department of Justice and using it to prosecute their political opponents,” he asserted. “The American people will not let this stand. November 5th cannot arrive soon enough.”
While Smith’s actions have garnered praise from legal experts, including some who previously worked for Trump, the indictment has also reignited tensions within the political sphere, with Trump’s supporters rallying to his defense and decrying what they see as politically motivated legal persecution.