Trump says he’d fire Jack Smith within ‘2 seconds’ of taking office

Former President Trump said Thursday that he would fire special counsel Jack Smith, who is handling the criminal cases against Trump, within “two seconds” of taking office if he wins in November.

“Oh it’s so easy. It’s so easy. He’s a crooked person,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

“It’s so easy. I would fire him within two seconds,” Trump added.

The former president said he was not concerned about the prospect of being impeached for firing Smith if Democrats controlled the House.

“No, I don’t think they’ll impeach me if I fire Jack Smith,” Trump said. “Jack Smith is a scoundrel. He’s a very dishonest man.”

The Harris campaign said Trump’s comments were evidence that he would be unrestrained in a second term.

“Donald Trump thinks he’s above the law, and these latest comments are right in line with the warnings made by Trump’s former Chief of Staff that he wants to rule as a dictator with unchecked power,” Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement. “A second Trump term, where a more unstable and unhinged Trump has essentially no guardrails and is surrounded by loyalists who will enable his worst instincts, is guaranteed to be more dangerous. America can’t risk a second Trump term.”

Smith was appointed in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the investigations into Trump. He has since brought charges against the former president and current GOP presidential nominee over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election and over his handling and retention of classified documents after leaving office.

Judge Aileen Cannon earlier this year tossed out the documents case against Trump, siding with Trump’s attorneys and concluding Smith’s appointment was not lawfully appointed. Cannon was nominated to the federal bench by Trump, who has praised her as “brilliant.”

Trump was indicted on federal charges in Washington, D.C., last year over his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. Smith charged Trump with four counts, alleging he was the director of a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and was also central to a campaign to block the certification of votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

Smith has pushed forward with the case despite a Supreme Court ruling that presidents are immune from prosecution over official acts, arguing Trump’s efforts to thwart the transfer of power were the unlawful actions of a private citizen, not of a president.

Updated at 12:57 p.m.