BREAKING: Jack Smith to Testify Publicly Under Oath as Trump Prosecutions Return to Center Stage
Washington, D.C. — A pivotal week for the rule of law is unfolding in Washington as Jack Smith, the special counsel who prosecuted Donald Trump and secured 44 felony counts across two historic indictments, prepares to testify publicly and under oath before the House Judiciary Committee this Thursday.
For the first time, the American people will see Smith questioned live on television — not behind closed doors — about his investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged obstruction of justice related to classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
The hearing marks a dramatic escalation in transparency — and political pressure.
Why this hearing matters
Jack Smith’s appearance is not routine congressional oversight. It is the result of sustained public pressure, mounting legal scrutiny, and growing frustration with attempts to obscure the facts surrounding Trump’s conduct.
In December, Smith testified in a closed-door deposition, the video of which was released weeks later. That secrecy, critics argue, shielded Trump from immediate public accountability.
This time, the hearing will be:
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Live
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Public
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Under oath
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Broadcast nationally, including on Legal AF’s YouTube channel
And the format will be entirely different.
A lawyer-led interrogation
Instead of extended partisan blocks, members of the House Judiciary Committee will question Smith in five-minute rounds — a structure that favors precision, clarity, and legal expertise.
Leading the Democratic questioning will be Representative Jamie Raskin, the committee’s ranking member, constitutional scholar, and a central figure in the January 6 Select Committee.
He will be joined by an unusually deep bench of lawyer-legislators, including:
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Eric Swalwell
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Ted Lieu
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Jared Moskowitz
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Jasmine Crockett
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Dan Goldman
Each is expected to focus tightly on evidence, intent, and prosecutorial standards — not political theater.
Raskin sets the tone
Raskin has already made clear that he will not tolerate conspiracy theories or misdirection.
In previous committee remarks, he emphasized a central point Republicans have struggled to counter:
Donald Trump has never testified under oath about what he did on January 6.
Raskin has repeatedly highlighted evidence showing that Trump:
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Watched the Capitol attack unfold on television
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Took no action to deploy the D.C. National Guard, which he controlled
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Benefited politically from the chaos
And Raskin has issued a blunt warning to those attempting to rewrite history:
“If you come to court, you better bring the evidence with you.”
That philosophy will define Thursday’s hearing.
What Jack Smith is expected to say
Based on Smith’s prior sworn testimony, there are few mysteries about his core conclusions — but hearing them live carries enormous weight.
In his closed-door deposition, Smith stated unequivocally that:
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Trump caused the January 6 violence
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Trump exploited it
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The attack was foreseeable and preventable
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The conspiracy did not exist without Trump
Perhaps most damningly, Smith testified that Trump was “by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person” involved.
Smith also rejected claims that his prosecutions were politically motivated, emphasizing that:
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He took no orders from political leaders
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The decision to indict Trump was his alone
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The evidence supported conviction beyond a reasonable doubt
That is the highest standard in criminal law — and Smith has said he was confident he could meet it.
The Supreme Court immunity shockwave
Smith’s testimony comes in the shadow of a seismic Supreme Court ruling that granted Trump partial criminal immunity for official acts as president — a decision that disrupted Smith’s prosecutions midstream.
Despite that setback, Smith has made clear that:
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Many of Trump’s alleged actions were not official acts
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Even under the new immunity framework, substantial evidence of criminal conduct remains
How Smith navigated that ruling — and whether it altered the strength of the cases — is expected to be a major line of questioning.
The Mar-a-Lago report the public may never see
One of the most controversial aspects of Smith’s tenure is Volume Two of his final report — covering Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice and mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Unlike Volume One (focused on election interference), Volume Two has been blocked from public release by Judge Aileen Cannon.
If it remains sealed, it would be the only special counsel report in U.S. history withheld from the American people.
Smith has already completed it.
Whether he will be allowed to discuss its contents remains uncertain — DOJ previously instructed him not to address it publicly — but Democrats are expected to press the issue hard.
A conflict that refuses to disappear
Adding to the controversy is the role of Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney.
Blanche:
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Defended Trump against obstruction allegations
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Played a key role in Trump’s battle with the National Archives
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Is now serving as acting head of the National Archives
Critics describe the situation bluntly:
The fox is guarding the henhouse.
Expect pointed questions about institutional integrity and conflicts of interest.
Why this hearing happened at all
Perhaps the most important takeaway is this:
This hearing did not happen by accident.
House Republicans initially resisted a public appearance by Smith. It was only after sustained media scrutiny, public outrage, and pressure from independent outlets that the committee relented.
The result is a rare moment where public engagement directly shaped congressional action.
For viewers frustrated with the pace of accountability, the message is clear:
Civic pressure still matters.
What comes next
This week sets the stage for two critical legal flashpoints:
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Wednesday: Supreme Court arguments over Trump’s attempt to fire a Federal Reserve governor — a move critics say would destroy the Fed’s independence
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Thursday: Jack Smith’s live testimony before Congress
Together, they underscore a broader truth:
The legal reckoning surrounding Donald Trump is far from over.
And for the first time in months, the American public will hear directly — in real time — from the prosecutor who brought the most consequential criminal cases against a former president in U.S. history.
BREAKING — accountability is back in the spotlight.
