Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations into President Donald Trump during a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing on January 22, 2026. Republicans accused the probes of political bias and overreach, while Democrats praised Smith's adherence to facts and law. The testimony marked Smith's first public appearance on the matter after two indictments were dismissed following Trump's election victory.
On January 22, 2026, former special counsel Jack Smith appeared before the House Judiciary Committee for hours of intense questioning about his role in indicting President Donald Trump on charges related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and mishandling of classified documents. Appointed in November 2022 by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, Smith led the cases, which alleged Trump orchestrated efforts to block the 2020 election certification and retained sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Both cases were dismissed without prejudice after Trump won the 2024 election and returned to the White House.
Republicans, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), criticized the investigations as politically motivated. "It was always about politics and to get President Trump, they were willing to do almost anything," Jordan said. Lawmakers like Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Darrell Issa (R-CA), and Russell Fry (R-SC) targeted Smith's team's collection of phone records from congressional Republicans, including Kevin McCarthy and Scott Perry, around the Capitol riot. Roy noted his records were "indeed targeted" due to communications with Perry, which Smith said occurred before he assumed oversight. Issa compared the tactics to those of Richard Nixon's operatives, asking, "You, like the president’s men for Richard Nixon, went after your political enemies... weren’t you?" Fry accused Smith of an unconstitutional appointment, breaching a 60-day pre-election rule, evidence tampering in the Mar-a-Lago case, and unconstitutional subpoenas of Congress members without court notification.
Smith maintained his impartiality: "I am not a politician and I have no partisan loyalties. My office didn't spy on anyone." Responding to Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), he stated, "Our investigation revealed that Donald Trump is the person who caused Jan 6, that it was foreseeable to him, and that he sought to exploit the violence." He added, "We followed the facts and we followed the law. Where that led us was to an indictment of an unprecedented criminal scheme to block the peaceful transition of power." On the Capitol attack, which injured 140 officers, Smith said Trump was "by a large measure the most culpable" and responsible for crimes committed for his benefit. He expressed regret only for not better appreciating his team's sacrifices, many of whom were later fired.
Democrats, including Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), defended Smith, with Goldman calling Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon, who blocked parts of Smith's report, "completely lawless." Smith anticipated retaliation from the Trump Justice Department, stating, "I will not be intimidated," and believed it might indict him. During the hearing, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Deranged Jack Smith is being DECIMATED before Congress... Jack Smith is a deranged animal, who shouldn’t be allowed to practice Law."
This hearing followed a closed-door deposition in December 2025, whose transcript Republicans released. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) suggested recalling Smith on the classified documents case, as Cannon's order may lift, amid pushes for the report's release despite Trump's lawyer's objections over grand jury materials.
