Trump reaches out to top House allies as he prepares to fight Jack Smith: report
Jack Smith, Donald Trump (Smith photo by Robin Van Lonkhuijsen for AFP/ Trump by Saul Loeb for AFP)
July 18, 2023
Donald Trump is enlisting top House allies as he apparently plans for a bruising fight against special counsel Jack Smith in the aftermath of the former president’s announcement that he’s the target of a federal probe over efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump on his Truth Social website described receiving the letter as “HORRIFYING NEWS" led by "Deranged Jack Smith" that he asserts leaves him with "a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment."
CNN’s Melanie Zanona confirmed that Trump has reached out to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) and GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
“Donald Trump has reached out to some of his top allies on Capitol Hill to strategize how they’re going to defend Trump & go on offense against the special counsel probe, per sources familiar,” Zanona tweeted.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) confirmed to The New York Times’ Luke Broadwater that he plans to meet with his panel’s attorneys to formulate a response to the target letter.
“It’s ridiculous," Jordan told Broadwater.
"There are all kinds of ridiculous things happening at the Justice Department.”