Staff Reports
The political landscape has shifted drastically following Donald Trump’s recent electoral victory, and it seems the legal woes aimed at the former (and possibly future) president are finally running out of steam. The infamous special counsel, Jack Smith, has announced his plans to resign just before Trump takes office again on January 20. It looks like Smith is attempting to tidy up his toys and leave the sandbox before the kid who actually knows how to play shows up again.
Reports indicate that Smith is determined to wrap up his investigations rather swiftly so as not to leave any unsightly messes for others to deal with. After conducting two significant probes against Trump, with little to show for them, he’s decided to clear his desk and beat Trump in the race to the door, a classic case of “you can’t fire me; I quit.” It’s astounding how far they were willing to go in pursuing a former president, only to have the electoral winds blow dramatically against them. That noble principle that no one is above the law certainly seems to have its limits when it collides with the reality of a sitting president.
Smith’s urgency seems to stem from an inconvenient little detail: Department of Justice policy explicitly states that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. After the Supreme Court recently broadened the parameters of what constitutes official presidential conduct, the cases against Trump appear to be more moot than ever. Presumably, Smith’s resignation will coincide with a loss of his spotlight, hitting yet another snag on the road paved with good intentions but lousy execution.
While Smith is in a mad dash to compile his final report — a document that ideally will summarize his efforts and decisions — there’s one burning question left hanging: why bother? His investigations transformed into little more than theatrical productions, featuring charges that never made it to trial. The best they can produce at this juncture is a sober summary and possibly some half-hearted cringe-worthy justification for the time and resources spent.
Jack Smith to Resign Before Trump Inaugurated
https://t.co/SBLhZS5H1J— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 13, 2024
Attorney General Merrick Garland’s role in this entire debacle hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Reports suggest that he plans to release Smith’s findings to the public, with the obligatory redactions, of course. However, the showdown between the realities of the law and the intentions of a political playbook could paint the picture that this is merely a PR move to save face for the administration.
With the icing on this cake being the unanswered questions about the legitimacy of Garland’s appointment of Smith to begin with, a constitutional conundrum remains. After all, it isn’t just the cases against Trump that are in limbo; the entire apparatus from the Justice Department has become mired in a frustrating quagmire. Meanwhile, House Republicans, under the ever-watchful eye of Jim Jordan, are stepping up by calling for the preservation of all related documents, eager to hold those in power accountable for the orchestrated political witch hunts they have been conducting.
Ultimately, while Smith hastily prepares to close the book on his saga against Trump, the broader issue of politicization in the judicial system remains an open wound. Though the Trump investigations may be winding down, the repercussions of this political theater are far from over. One thing is clear: as long as the Trump presidency remains a pressing topic for the left, the investigations and the jabs at accountability will not be easily erased from history.
