Jack Smith defends his investigations into Trump, calls Republican attacks 'unjustified'

(22 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

POOL
Washington, DC - 22 January 2026
1. Wide shot of House Judiciary Committee hearing
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Kevin Kiley, (R) California:
"So Mr. Smith, looking at the record, I see that you were reversed and rebuked by the Department of Justice itself, by the attorney general, by the solicitor general, by multiple district court judges, by the Court of Appeals, and by the US Supreme Court itself. So my final question is, do you believe that you made any mistakes? Do you have any regrets as to how you conducted this investigation?"
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jack Smith, Former Justice Department special counsel:
"If I have any regret, it would be not expressing enough appreciation for my staff who work so hard in these investigations. We follow the facts and the law. These people who work for me sacrificed endlessly and have endured way too much for just doing their job. So if anything, I wish that I had thanked them..."
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Kevin Kiley, (R) California:
"So no mistakes. There's that humility. Mr. Chair, I yield back."
++BLACK FRAMES++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee:
"What do you think about the attack on the Department of Justice and the special counsel for doing your jobs?"
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jack Smith, Former Justice Department special counsel:
"I think the attack is unjustified. I think that people who worked with me as career public servants are people, they're part of the reason I've been a prosecutor for so long is to work with people like that. Not just the prosecutors in my office, but also the agents, FBI agents who are heroes, who have served their country, not only as agents, but also overseas. I think those attacks are unwarranted based on the facts. And I think that they have no basis in who we are as Americans, as a country. I don't see attacking people like that as anything appropriate."
++BLACK FRAMES++
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jim Jordan, Chairman, House Judiciary Committee:
"They got my phone records for two and a half years. Even the Democrats said this was wrong. But, of course, we shouldn't be surprised. Democrats have been going after President Trump for 10 years, for a decade, and the country should never, ever forget what they did."
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee:
"Congress has allowed toll records to be subpoenaed. This committee has actually tried to limit it over the years and the senators who are whining the most over on the Republican side in the Senate, they never went along with our determination to try to limit the government's ability to subpoena toll records. So it's perfectly lawful what you did. Explain why did you want those toll records?"
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Jack Smith, Former Justice Department special counsel:
"We wanted to conduct a thorough investigation of the matters that was assigned to me, including attempts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power. The conspiracy that we were investigating, it was relevant to get toll records to understand the scope of that conspiracy, who they were seeking to coerce, who were seeking to influence, who was seeking to help them. (RASKIN: And that's normal investigative practice, right?)
In conducting a criminal investigation, securing non-content toll records, as you described, is a common practice in almost any complex conspiracy."
10. Raskin continues questioning
STORYLINE:




He also declared Republican attacks against him "unjustified."








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