‘Within two seconds’: Trump vows to fire special prosecutor who brought charges if re-elected – Times of India

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said if re-elected he would fire special adviser Jack Smith in “two seconds” which brought two Federal indictments against him for the past year and a half. Trump is accused by Smith of conspiring to overturn his Elections in 2020 loss and unlawful retention of classified material after leaving office.
In a recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said, “I would fire him in two seconds.”
The former president also called Smith “crooked,” a word he used against most of his opponents.
Trump’s comments were his most direct yet about the potential fate of federal cases against him if he wins another term. He expressed confidence that he would not face impeachment over Smith’s firing, which would effectively challenge the House if Democrats regain control.
Justice Department officials have indicated that Smith is prepared to prosecute the cases against Trump for as long as legally possible, even between Election Day and the inauguration, if Trump prevails.
Some of Trump’s allies have argued that Smith was appointed illegally, and Judge Eileen M Cannon, a Trump appointee overseeing the classified documents case in Florida, initially dismissed the allegations on those grounds.
But Smith’s team is appealing the decision, and lawyers handling Trump’s election meddling case in Washington were expected to mount a similar challenge, though its success remains uncertain given a federal appeals court ruling upholding special counsels like Smith.
Both of Smith’s cases face significant obstacles even if Trump loses the election. The special counsel’s office is currently defending the election sabotage charge against a recent Supreme Court ruling granting Trump broad immunity for official acts as president, which could take months to resolve.
Additionally, even if Smith’s appeal of Judge Cannon’s ruling is successful, she could have the charges dismissed again on different legal grounds.
During the interview, Trump also said he is not ruling out a pardon Hunter Bidenthe president’s son, who was recently convicted and pleaded guilty in separate federal cases. Trump has repeatedly targeted the younger Biden in an effort to smear the president and paint the justice system as biased against him, framing his own criminal cases as politically motivated.