President Trump fires back, calling Smith’s effort to stifle his First Amendment right to defend himself “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”
Special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion Wednesday asking the Washington D.C. court to prevent the jury in his January 6 case against Donald Trump from hearing about evidence related to the January 6 riot.
You cannot make this up.
Smith in his court filing argued that former President Trump shouldn’t be allowed to make “irrelevant” claims blaming January 6 on others.
“Through public statements, filings and argument in hearings before the court, the defense has attempted to inject into this case partisan political attacks and irrelevant and prejudicial issues that have no place in a jury trial,” the filing states.
As part of Smith’s effort to prevent Trump from waging “political attacks” in the trial, he requested that District Judge Tanya Chutkan preclude January 6 evidence from being presented in his January 6 case.
Smith said he wants the court to “exclude evidence regarding agency preparation for, and responses on January 6”, claiming it qualifies as “disinformation.”
NEW: Jack Smith, in likely vain attempt to keep March 4 trial date, filed another pretrial related to what the jury should be allowed to consider. (All pretrial deadlines now on hold)
Smith wants to preclude the jury from hearing evidence about Jan 6 in his Jan 6 case: pic.twitter.com/m8hgn6eGoJ
— Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) December 27, 2023
This is likely because the jury would learn that not only did Trump request the National Guard to protect the Capitol building prior to the January 6 protest, but that his request was rejected by former Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; not exactly a sign Trump was planning an “insurrection.”
Next, Smith asked for the court to deny evidence from being presented evidence of undercover federal agents provoking protesters at the Capitol on January 6.
“Evidence of undercover actors holds no probative value here,” Smith argued.
Smith wants to prevent jury from learning about presence of undercover agents: pic.twitter.com/Z4fCQN4o9P
— Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) December 27, 2023
Smith then called for all evidence related to U.S. government warnings of foreign actors interfering in the 2020 election withheld from the jury.
“After warnings by govt officials in 2016 and 2020 that malign foreign influences were attempting to interfere in national elections, Smith wants any evidence related to 2020 warnings kept from the jury,” reporter Julie Kelly explained.
Smith in his filing called those official claims of foreign interference “false” and argued that their inclusion as evidence would only “confuse” the jury.
After warnings by govt officials in 2016 and 2020 that malign foreign influences were attempting to interfere in national elections, Smith wants any evidence related to 2020 warnings kept from the jury pic.twitter.com/GoNJykzc1r
— Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) December 27, 2023
Finally, Smith pleaded for the court not to let Trump point out to the jury that a political and selective prosecution is, in fact, political and selective.
“Much as the defendant would like it otherwise, this trial should be about the facts and the law, not politics,” Smith said.
Jack Smith does not want Trump to point out to the jury that a political and selective prosecution is political and selective pic.twitter.com/oVHCtYiMMg
— Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) December 27, 2023
If Smith really wanted “facts and law” to prevail, why try to prevent so many facts from reaching the jury?
And if Smith really cared about the “facts and the law” and not “politics”, he wouldn’t have overstepped the appellate court to request the Supreme Court expedite his case to review the question of whether Trump has immunity from prosecution for challenging the results of the 2020 election.
Smith’s request was promptly denied by the U.S. Supreme Court, which was a political setback for Smith, who wanted to start the 2020 election trial against Trump on March 4, just the day before Super Tuesday.
In point of fact, Smith’s timeline of Trump’s trial developments reveal that his efforts are entirely politically motivated.
Deep State sent into PANIC after Fox News blows up damning timeline exposing politically coordinated lawfare against President Trump ahead of 2024 on MASSIVE floor-to-ceiling screen pic.twitter.com/XE7LmHucNf
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 18, 2023
Trump responded with statement on Truth Social blasting “deranged” Smith, claiming his effort to prevent Trump from exercising his First Amendment right to defend himself was not only “illegal” but also “unconstitutional.”
Crooked Joe Biden’s errand boy, Deranged Jack Smith, is obsessed with attacking your favorite President, me, and with interfering in the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am Dominating. Deranged Jack is so Viciously and Desperately Angry that the Supreme Court just unanimously rejected his flailing attempt to rush this Witch Hunt, that he is ignoring the Law and clear instructions from the D.C. Court that this “case” should be stayed, and there cannot be any more filings. Today’s pathetic motion is not just Illegal, it is also another Unconstitutional attempt to take away my First Amendment Rights, and to prevent me from saying the TRUTH — that all of these Hoaxes are nothing but a political persecution of me, the MAGA Movement, and the Republican Party by Crooked Joe and his Despicable Thugs. The Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists are petrified of me speaking the TRUTH because the American People don’t want them destroying our Country. Make America Great Again!
Read Smith’s filing:
