Darline Graham attempts to catch Jack Smith off guard by name-dropping her brother, then gets cornered when he turns her words against her
Failed attempt
On Tuesday, Jack Smith, the former Special Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding his two criminal cases against Trump.
As videos from the hearing began circulating on social media, one moment particularly caught people’s attention. The moment featured a conversation between Smith and Senator Darline Graham, who recently took over her brother Lindsey Graham’s seat after his death.
Graham asked Smith if he believed that her brother was going to “destroy evidence that was not even in his possession.” Smith responded with an immediate “No” and added that he believed Lindsey Graham was a “patriotic public servant.” He also added, “He was not the target of our investigation, and in fact he likely would have been a witness in our case.” As soon as Smith said this, Graham showed signs of discomfort and tried to speak, but refrained as Smith continued.
Smith said, “Your brother investigated the claims that Donald Trump was making. He found them false. He said so on the House floor.” At this point, Graham cut him off and asked another question, wearing an almost disappointed look.
Smith’s cases against Trump and Lindsey Graham’s alleged involvement
Smith made two criminal indictments against Trump. One is for his apparent involvement in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including his supposed incitement of the January 6 incident, while the other concerns his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the presidency. Neither case went to trial and was dismissed after Trump became president for a second term, under Justice Department guidelines that protect sitting presidents from such charges.
That said, there is no way to confirm Smith’s assertions about Lindsey Graham that he made on Tuesday. Graham, a lifelong Republican who has always supported Trump, and more so vigorously in the past couple of years, has spoken fondly of Biden in the past, but that does not prove he went behind Trump’s back to investigate him.
Smith denied any wrongdoing
Another moment from Tuesday’s hearing that grabbed headlines was Smith’s exchange with Senator Ted Cruz, who accused him of not revealing the subpoenas against lawmakers before their phone records were reviewed. Smith clarified that he and the others conducting the investigation believed that Trump and his companions would have tried to destroy the evidence if the subpoenas had been disclosed.
Cruz also accused Smith of attempting to corner Trump and people within his administration because they were Republicans. Smith denied the claim.
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