WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2026 — Former special counsel Jack Smith, in a public hearing before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee last week, offered a stark assessment of President Donald J. Trump’s role in the events leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, stating that the riot “does not happen without President Trump.” The testimony, part of an oversight inquiry into Mr. Smith’s now-dismissed federal cases against Mr. Trump, has reignited debate over accountability for the 2020 election aftermath, even as viral social media claims exaggerate or misquote his words.

The hearing on Jan. 22 followed a closed-door deposition Mr. Smith gave to the committee on Dec. 17, 2025, the transcript of which was released publicly on Dec. 31. In both sessions, Mr. Smith defended his investigations into Mr. Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. He emphasized that the evidence developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” of a criminal scheme to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power.

“President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power,” Mr. Smith said in his opening statement during the deposition. He added that the Jan. 6 riot was a direct outgrowth of that scheme, noting that Mr. Trump “by a large measure was the most culpable and most responsible person” involved. When asked if he would bring the same charges against an ex-president regardless of party, Mr. Smith affirmed he would, underscoring his commitment to nonpartisan justice.

The cases were dismissed by Attorney General Pam Bondi shortly after Mr. Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, citing longstanding Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. Mr. Smith, in his testimony, expressed no regrets about the indictments, stating, “I have zero regrets.” He also addressed threats directed at him and his team, including Mr. Trump’s repeated use of terms like “deranged Jack Smith,” which he said were intended to intimidate but would not deter him.

Viral posts circulating since the hearing have amplified and sometimes distorted Mr. Smith’s words. One widely shared claim quotes him as saying Mr. Trump was “getting calls from people he trusts there, people he relies on to cause the riot, and he still refused to come to the aid of the people at the Capitol.” No such statement appears in the deposition transcript or public hearing. Instead, Mr. Smith discussed how Mr. Trump and his associates attempted to contact members of Congress during the riot to delay certification, describing it as “furtherance of their criminal scheme.”

The misquotes have fueled speculation and outrage online, with some users calling it “the most important moment” of the deposition. Fact-checkers note that such distortions often stem from edited clips or fabricated narratives designed for engagement. The full eight-hour deposition video and transcript, released by the committee, provide context showing Mr. Smith’s responses were measured and focused on legal justifications, not sensational revelations.

Republicans on the committee, including Mr. Jordan, used the hearing to criticize what they called overreach, such as subpoenas for congressional phone metadata to build timelines. Mr. Smith defended those as standard and judge-approved to prevent obstruction. Democrats praised his work, with one asking if “no one should be above the law,” to which he replied affirmatively.

The White House dismissed the testimony as partisan theater, with Mr. Trump posting on Truth Social calling Mr. Smith a “deranged prosecutor.” As midterms approach, the session underscores persistent divides over Jan. 6 accountability.