FACT CHECK: Contrary To Threads Post, Jack Smith Has Not Been Fired As Of Nov. 6
A video shared on Threads claims Special Counsel Jack Smith has been fired as of Nov. 6.
View on Threads
Verdict: False
The claim is false. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Smith’s office has spent at least $50 million prosecuting Trump, according to calculations from Newsweek. Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 to prosecute Trump’s federal cases involving alleged election interference and classified documents, the outlet reported.
The Threads video, which has received over 400 likes as of writing, claims Smith has been fired as of Nov. 6. In the video, Fox News correspondent David Spunt discusses how President-Elect Trump’s 2024 victory will impact his legal cases. Spunt says Trump’s legal woes may disappear because of a DOJ policy that prohibits sitting presidents from being prosecuted.
The claim is false. On Nov. 8, NBC News reported that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan had granted Smith’s request to pause Trump’s “federal election interference case” and determine how to move forward. According to a recent court filing, Smith must file a “status report” stating how the case will move forward by December 2. Smith made the filing as a result of Trump winning the 2024 election, the outlet indicated.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Nov. 11, USA Today debunked the claim. In addition, the DOJ does not appear to have referenced the claim on its website or its verified social media accounts. (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Call For Liz Cheney To Be Executed?)
Furthermore, a DOJ spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“Special Counsel Smith continues to serve in his position, as demonstrated [by] the attached recent court filing,” the spokesperson said, directing Check Your Fact to the Nov. 8 filing made by Smith.
The DOJ’s policy prohibiting sitting presidents from being prosecuted stems from a 2000 memo from the Office of Legal Counsel, according to NBC News.
