Donald Trump has called on House Republicans to subpoena Special Counsel Jack Smith over the Justice Department’s criminal investigations into the former president. In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump voiced support for Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna’s effort to hold U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in “inherent contempt” after the DOJ refused to turn over an audio recording from an October 2023 interview with President Joe Biden. Trump added, “House Republicans should also subpoena Deranged Jack Smith and look into his ILLEGAL INVESTIGATION of me immediately.”
Last month, the House voted to hold Garland in contempt, but the Justice Department declined to press charges based on the resolution. Luna’s resolution, introduced to the House on Wednesday, would fine the attorney general $10,000 each day he fails to turn over the audio tapes related to special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Meanwhile, Smith’s office is leading the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents recovered from his Mar-a-Lago estate during an FBI raid in August 2022. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 40 felony counts brought against him by the DOJ in this case. Additionally, Trump has pleaded not guilty to four federal charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election leading up to the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. This case, brought by Smith, is currently in limbo after the Supreme Court ruled that Trump was protected under presidential immunity for any official acts. A lower court is now tasked with determining which of Trump’s actions listed in the indictment constitute official acts as president.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also advocated for Republicans to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to provide documentary proof of their citizenship status before voting in a federal election. The bill passed the House on Wednesday with a 221-198 vote. “Republicans MUST GET TOUGH about stopping weaponization and cheating!” Trump wrote. “They may just be coming for me and my elections today, but they will come for all the Republicans very soon if they succeed!”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the legal challenges against him are a form of election interference amid his bid for a second term in office this November. Preliminary polling indicates that the 2024 election will be a tight race between Trump and Biden.