House Republicans finally released on Wednesday the long-awaited transcript of former special counsel Jack Smith's deposition before the House Judiciary Committee.
The 255-page document was released on New Year's Eve, a time some experts deemed suspicious. The Trump administration is currently trying to distance itself from the recently released files from the FBI's investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, which painted President Donald Trump's relationship with Epstein in an unscrupulous light. Trump is also facing considerable pressure to release more files.
Here are five eye-popping claims Smith made during his interview with House Republicans.
Smith described the evidence his team collected against Trump and his allies as "powerful."
"The timing and speed of our work reflects the strength of the evidence and our confidence that we would have secured convictions at trial," Smith said. "If asked whether to prosecute a former President based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that President was a Republican or a Democrat."
In one of the more shocking moments of the interview, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asked Smith whether he thought the Supreme Court's 2024 decision granting Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution while in office exonerated the president's actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith gave a one-word answer.
"No," he said.
"I don't think it was an exoneration because I still believed that there was substantial evidence that would allow us to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt," he added.
Smith also acknowledged that Trump will likely seek retaliation against him.
"So I am eyes wide open that this President will seek retribution against me if he can. I know that," Smith said.
Trump has sought to prosecute other foes, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, who secured a 34-count felony fraud conviction against Trump, and former FBI Director James Comey, who investigated ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and the Russian government.
Smith also noted that his investigation included members of Congress who helped Trump in his scheme.
"Exploiting that violence, President Trump and his associates tried to call Members of Congress in furtherance of their criminal scheme, urging them to further delay certification of the 2020 election. I did not choose those Members, President Trump did," Smith said.
Throughout the hearing, Republicans tried to paint Smith as a politically motivated prosecutor.
Smith pushed back forcefully against those claims.
"I think people who know me and have known my reputation would know that that would not end well if someone tried to pressure me to move a case in one direction or the other that wasn't supported by the law," Smith said. "I wouldn't stand for it, and I would also say the people who worked in my office wouldn't stand for that either."