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A guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world.
Donald Trump faced “sufficient” evidence to be convicted at trial of trying to overturn the 2020 US presidential election, according to the special counsel who led the case against the president-elect.
Jack Smith was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to oversee the case against Trump. He filed two charges against the former president, one of which accused Trump of interfering with 2020 poll results.
But Smith ultimately moved to dismiss both proceedings in the wake of Trump's victory in the 2024 election, based on the Justice Department's longstanding policy barring prosecutions of sitting presidents.
The opinion is “categorical and does not override the seriousness of the crimes charged, the strength of the government's evidence, or the merits of the prosecution, which the authorities fully support,” Smith said in an earlier statement. stated in the final report on the incident. on tuesday.
“That's true, but regarding Trump's election and impending return to office, [special counsel’s] “The office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial,” Smith added.
The report was a blow to President Trump, who is less than a week away from taking office.
President Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, called Smith “a dumb prosecutor who couldn't stand trial before the election I won in a landslide” in a post on his platform Truth Social. ” he called.
The report brought closure to one of two cases related to Smith's investigation as special counsel. Another case involves President Trump's mishandling of classified documents after the end of his first term as president.
Smith resigned from the Justice Department last week. The historic incident sparked a fierce legal battle with the president-elect ahead of the 2024 vote.
