MAGA commentator Eric Daugherty called Jack Smith a “tyrant” after the former special prosecutor accused Donald Trump of “criminal” involvement in inciting the January 6 riots.
Dougherty’s blistering comments came after the release of Smith’s 255-page testimony to Congress on Dec. 17.
During his testimony, Smith said his team had “incontrovertible evidence” that Trump attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election through the riot. However, when Trump took office for the second time, his investigation was dropped.
Dougherty wrote on
Jack Smith said Donald Trump had a “criminal plan” to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the January 6 riots (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Dougherty, RightLine’s chief content officer, was referring to comments Smith made during his testimony.
However, Smith, who is leading the 2022 investigation into Trump’s involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack, effectively said the president can say whatever he wants about the election.
Smith warned, however, that Trump cannot use false statements to prevent the government from carrying out its normal functions.
“There is no historical comparison to what President Trump did in this case,” Smith told Congress. “As we said in the indictment, he was free to say he believed he won the election. He was even free to say he won the election.”
“But he did not have the authority to violate federal law and target legitimate government functions with intentionally false statements about election fraud,” he continued. “He was not allowed to do that. That makes this case unlike anything in history.”
Protesters stormed Parliament Hill during riots on January 6 in an attempt to prevent the certification of the election (AFP/Getty)
Smith went on to say his investigation was entirely impartial and actually depended on evidence from members of Trump’s own party.
“We have an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former congressman who is going to be an elector for President Trump and he says what they are trying to do is an attempt to overthrow the government and that is illegal,” he said. “Frankly, our argument is based on Republicans who put loyalty to country over loyalty to party.”
Trump has not been criminally convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 attack in which his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
In one of the final acts of his first administration, Trump called on Mike Pence to undermine Biden’s certification as the then-vice president was given the responsibility of overseeing the transfer of power.
Trump orders Mike Pence not to certify Biden’s win, but vice president refuses (Reuters)
As Pence prepared to hand the election to the winning candidate, Joe Biden, Trump vented his anger on X.
“Mike Pence doesn’t have the courage to do what should be done to protect our country and our Constitution by giving states a chance to prove a correct set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones they were previously required to prove,” he fumed in a tweet obtained by America’s Watchdog. “America demands the truth!”
His supporters were later reportedly heard chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” Politico. Smith said in his testimony that Trump’s actions “endangered the life of his vice president.”
Since winning his second term, Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the riots.
Fourteen members of the far-right group the Proud Boys were also pardoned.
“These people have been destroyed,” Trump said at the time. “What they did to these people was appalling. There has been very little like this in the history of our country.”