GOP rep gets more than he bargained for from Jack Smith over Trump threats

[turbinetree]

By Nicole Charky-Chami
Published January 22, 2026 2:26 PM ET

A Republican lawmaker Thursday had an unexpected reaction after he asked former special counsel Jack Smith about President Donald Trump's threats.

Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) was questioning Smith during the House Judiciary Committee hearing — the first time Smith has testified publicly on the probes against Trump — when he asked about the gag order the prosecutor sought against the president.

"Mr. Smith, America was founded on the principle that the government doesn't silence political speech, in particular speech, before it happens," Cline said. "You sought a prior restraint against President Trump without a single violation of pretrial release. In fact, there was no real world harm that you could articulate, justified giving the federal government the power to silence him as a presidential candidate was there."

https://www.rawstory.com/jack-smith-trump-threats/

How Jack Smith schooled this maga hypocrite.............

[NoMoreRepugs]

1. Little Benny Cline more than likely doesn't realize his pants are down and his ScoobyDoo undies are on full display.

[mobeau69]

2. Smith took that jackass to the woodshed.

[Wicked Blue]

3. Another excerpt from the article

"I would I would also add, sir, that in the days after Donald Trump made some of these statements, the district court in this case received vile threats, threats to the district court's life in that environment," Smith added. "I felt a duty as a prosecutor to make that motion, and I make no apologies."