Oct 25, V7N-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Thursday that if he wins the 2024 election, he would swiftly fire special counsel Jack Smith, who has brought two federal cases against him. Smith has charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents. Trump's comments, made during an interview with conservative podcast host Hugh Hewitt, sparked criticism from the campaign of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, with her spokesperson Ammar Moussa accusing Trump of seeking to rule with unchecked power and "no guardrails."

Trump's legal team has also filed a motion to dismiss the election subversion case, arguing that Smith's appointment was unlawful, a tactic that worked in a previous case where District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed charges related to mishandling classified documents. Trump praised Cannon as a "brave, brilliant judge" during the interview.

While a sitting president cannot directly fire a special counsel, Trump could appoint a new attorney general who might do so. Trump also suggested he might pardon himself if reelected. His comments come as he awaits trial in several cases, including the election subversion case, which has been paused as his lawyers argue for presidential immunity. Trump also faces racketeering charges in Georgia related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and a New York conviction for falsifying business records tied to hush money payments.

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