# Jack Smith Faces GOP Senators Who Call His Trump Probes Abuse of Power - URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/jack-smith-faces-gop-senators-who-call-his-trump-probes-abuse-of-power - Published: 2026-09-30T01:07:46.034946+00:00 - Topics: jack-smith, trump-investigations, senate-judiciary-committee, doj, january-6 ## What the left says - Smith stands by his decisions as special counsel, maintaining he brought charges based solely on evidence of Trump's own actions and not political motivation. - Smith argues he will not be silenced by threats of prosecution from the Trump administration, framing the hearing as retaliation against a prosecutor who did his job. - Smith has stated he believes a jury would have convicted Trump in the 2020 election interference case had it gone to trial, underscoring his confidence in the evidence. - As a career prosecutor who has pursued cases against both Republicans and Democrats, Smith denies that his investigations were politically targeted. ## What the right says - Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley titled the hearing to reflect concerns about 'Jack Smith's Abuse of Authority and the Targeting of Republicans,' arguing Smith misused his investigative powers for political ends. - Records released in 2025 showed Smith's team secretly accessed phone records of more than 40 lawmakers connected to Jan. 6, raising concerns about violations of the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause protections for Congress. - House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan referred Smith to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution, alleging Smith gave false testimony in December about whether he obtained lawmakers' phone records. - Grassley contends that if Smith had taken these same actions against Democrats, the public reaction would have been dramatically different, framing the hearing as a matter of equal accountability. ## Common ground - Jack Smith brought two federal indictments against Trump, one over classified documents and one over 2020 election subversion, and both cases ended after Trump won the 2024 election. - Smith's team obtained toll records (call metadata, not message content) from some Republican senators during the investigation. - Smith testified previously before Congress in December about his investigative methods, and questions remain about the accuracy of that testimony. - Both sides agree the Speech or Debate Clause exists to protect congressional communications and that its application in this case merits scrutiny. ## Sources - [ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/former-special-counsel-jack-smith-testify-senate-trump/story?id=136828779) (Lean Left) - [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/29/watch-live-jack-smith-testifies-before-senate-judiciary-committee/) (Right) - [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/early-takeaways-as-jack-smith-wraps-senate-testimony-about-trump-federal-probes/) (Lean Left) - [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/jack-smith-doubles-down-testifies-that-trump-committed-crimes/) (Lean Left) - [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/government/congress/smith-i-stand-decision-charge-donald-trump?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right) - [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/jack-smith-trump-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing/) (Lean Left) - [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/live-updates_n_6aba2581e4b07795582cf7c8) (Left) - [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/government/congress/ahead-jack-smiths-congressional-testimony-brief-history-arctic-frost-scandals?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right) - [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/senate-gop-press-jack-smith-trump-jan-6-probe-doj-targets-investigator-rcna600306) (Lean Left) - [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/politics/jack-smith-trump-congress/2026/09/29/id/1271012) (Right) - [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-jack-smith-testifies-before-senate-judiciary-as-gop-targets-past-trump-probes) (Lean Left) - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6116612-live-updates-trump-ai-jack-smith-senate-healthcare-affordability/) (Center) - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6116864-watch-live-jack-smith-senate-judiciary-hearing-donald-trump-prosecutions/) (Center) - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6116835-jack-smith-opening-statement-donald-trump-jan-6-classified-docs-cases-senate-judiciary-committee/) (Center) - [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/jack-smith-testifies-at-senate-hearing-defending-decision-to-charge-trump-270732357840) (Lean Left) - [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-jack-smith-says-he-would-prosecute-trump-again-for-serious-crimes-against-our-nation) (Lean Left) - [RedState](https://redstate.com/kyle-becker/2026/09/29/jack-smith-says-that-if-he-had-to-do-it-all-over-he-would-prosecute-trump-again-n2207514) (Unknown) - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/newsletters/1230-report/6118054-jack-smith-protect-college-sports-act-maha-summit-vance-rfk/) (Center) - [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/29/jack-smith-clashes-with-gop-senators-over-trump-investigations/) (Lean Left) - [Washington Times](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/29/jack-smith-says-spoken-keep-support-trump-criminal-cases/) (Right) - [Washington Times](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/29/ex-special-counsel-jack-smith-tells-senators-wont-silenced-trump/) (Right) --- Content by TwoTakes (https://twotakes.us). 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