Former President Donald Trump criticized special counsel Jack Smith after his indictment on Tuesday.
After being arraigned in Miami on allegations he mishandled classified information, Trump spoke to supporters at his golf resort in New Jersey. He called Smith a “deranged lunatic,” a “thug,” and a “raging and uncontrolled Trump hater.”
“The prosecutor in the case, I will call our case, is a thug. I have named him ‘Deranged Jack Smith,’” Trump said. “He’s a behind-the-scenes guy, but his record is absolutely atrocious. He does political hit jobs.”
“He’s a raging and uncontrolled Trump hater, as is his wife, who happened to be the producer of that Michelle Obama puff piece. This is the guy I’ve got,” Trump said.
In an interview Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland came to Smith’s defense and explained his own role in the investigation.
“My role is completely consistent with the regulations that set forth the responsibilities of the attorney general under the special counsel regulations, and I followed those regulations,” Garland said.
The attorney general said he was unable to comment on the Trump case against but talked about Smith.
“As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to both independence and accountability,” Garland said. “Mr. Smith is a veteran career prosecutor. He has assembled a group of experienced and talented prosecutors and agents who share his commitment to integrity and the rule of law.”
