Smith warns of 'attack on rule of law' under Trump

Former special counsel Jack Smith said Thursday that the U.S. is facing an attack on the rule of law under President Donald Trump, his first public comments since leaving office.

"We are facing an attack on the rule of law," Smith told Nicolle Wallace on MSNBC's "Deadline: White House."

Smith said a potential indictment of him by the Department of Justice "could happen" given Trump's animus toward him for prosecuting the president in two separate criminal cases before Trump returned to the White House.

He said it "angers me" to see career officials at the DOJ "demonized" by the Trump administration for their work on cases seen as hostile to the president and his allies.

Smith stepped down as special counsel in January after submitting his final report on the two federal cases he brought against Trump. Trump was convicted in New York state court on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The two federal cases – one involving classified documents, the other involving efforts to overturn the 2020 election – were dismissed after Trump's November victory.

Trump has repeatedly called for investigations into Smith and others who pursued legal action against him. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she would review the work of prosecutors who handled cases against Trump.

Smith's interview came as the Trump administration continues to purge career Justice Department officials seen as disloyal. The administration has fired multiple U.S. attorneys and FBI officials appointed during the Biden era.

Smith declined to discuss specific evidence from his investigations or the details of his prosecution strategy. He said he felt compelled to speak publicly because the attacks on the Justice Department's career staff had crossed a line.

"These are people who have dedicated their careers to public service," Smith said. "They deserve better."