Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., made the suggestion on Sunday that firing any Justice Department employees who worked on cases including accusations against Trump should be one of President-elect Donald Trump’s top objectives in his new administration.
First and foremost, Schmitt stated in an appearance on NBC News Meet the Press that those responsible for this should be dismissed right away.
And we’ll see where that goes, Schmitt continued. “And anybody part of this, this effort to keep President Trump off the ballot and to throw him in jail for the rest of his life because they didn’t like his politics and who continue to cast him as a quote, unquote threat to democracy, was wrong.”
His comments coincide with special counsel Jack Smith’s plans to wind down the cases against Trump and step down before he takes office. Smith was prosecuting two cases against Trump, one pertaining to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and the other to his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office in 2021.
Smith requested that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkanto put the 2020 election case on hold the week after Trump was predicted to win the election. Shortly after the request was submitted, Chutkan granted the motion.
Schmitt told moderator Kristen Welker, “[The cases] all fell apart under the weight of the law,” framing his demand that anybody involved in these instances be fired as a measure of accountability. Therefore, I do believe that accountability is necessary. Getting back to fighting crime is crucial, in my opinion, but these kinds of abuses must be held accountable.
During this year’s campaign, Trump frequently disparaged the Justice Department and laid out his expectations for the agency should he win the presidency.
Trump has frequently stated that he would pardon the more than 1,000 supporters who have been accused with crimes connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol storming.
He also said throughout the campaign that he would attack Smith and other political rivals with the Justice Department.
Trump once uploaded a picture of Smith on his social media platform Truth Social, writing, “He should be prosecuted for prosecutorial misconduct and election interference.”
WHEN I WIN, Trump said in a post following a campaign rally in September, “those who cheated will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which will include long term prison sentences.” Please be aware that corrupt election officials, lawyers, donors, political operatives, and illegal voters are all subject to this legal risk.
Schmitt added that he would support former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom Trump had declared he would propose for attorney general following the withdrawal of his first choice, former Representative Matt Gaetz.
Schmitt responded, “Oh, absolutely,” when asked if he would vote to confirm Bondi.
“I intend to help Pam Bondi get the votes,” he continued. I am familiar with her. She is a friend. I now hold Pam Bondi in high regard. She was an excellent Florida attorney general. President Trump has hit a home run with this.
Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, stated in an interview with CNN on Sunday that he was uncertain if Trump would put pressure on Bondi to target his political rivals.
Lankford stated, “I don’t think we know either way.”
Every American lawyer in the nation works for and alongside them, he continued. Therefore, it is crucial that we play this role correctly and that they are genuinely committed to reducing crime in America and ensuring that we receive quality prosecutions.
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