Trump ally 'gave away the game' by ignoring bid for public Jack Smith testimony: analyst

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) "prefers secrecy to sunlight" when it comes to his probe of former counsel Jack Smith, writes MS NOW's Steve Benen.

House Republicans, led by Jordan, subpoenaed Smith for a closed-door deposition on December 17, 2025, as part of their oversight investigation into his probes into President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.

Smith's lawyers have stated he volunteered to appear for an open, public hearing but will comply with the deposition request.

On Capitol Hill, GOP lawmakers remain eager to treat Smith like a "punching bag," Benen writes.

"Rep. Michael Rulli of Ohio recently accused the prosecutor of acts that he said bordered on 'treason[,]' Sen. Marsha Blackburn referred Smith to the Justice Department for a misconduct investigation, based on misguided allegations the Tennessee Republican did not appear to understand[,] and several GOP members have even pushed for Smith’s disbarment," he notes.

Jordan sent a letter to Smith to demand his closed-door testimony and NBC news reports that Smith’s lawyer Peter Koski said he's "disappointed ... Republicans rejected the Trump prosecutor’s offer to provide public testimony."

"Jack looks forward to meeting with the committee later this month to discuss his work and clarify the various misconceptions about his investigation," Koski tells NBC.

Benen says that "Smith clearly wanted more transparency, but he wasn’t in a position to dictate the terms."

The New York Times reported that House Republicans “have been reluctant to give [Smith] a prime public platform out of concern that he could embarrass Trump by making a compelling case for the indictments over the president’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents.”

These concerns, Benen writes, "gave away the game," adding that "Smith is an experienced, credible and capable prosecutor who’s familiar with Trump’s criminal cases at a granular level."

"The more Republicans drag him back into the spotlight, the more Smith is positioned to remind the public not only of the variety of alleged presidential felonies, but also of evidence the party would prefer to forget," Benen says.

While Trump says he, too, would rather see Smith testify in public, Jordan isn't keen on it at all.

"Jordan will likely ignore the White House’s preference, even as the president probably ought to be careful what he wishes for," he concludes.