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Special Counsel Jack Smith has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to step into the ongoing D.C.-based federal election case involving President Donald Trump, gunning for a “Hail Mary,” according to comments made by the Trump campaign.
Via Axios, Smith has asked SCOTUS to consider making an expedited ruling on the matter of presidential immunity and whether it would shield the 45th president from being prosecuted in the election case.
A Trump spokesperson slammed the request, describing it as an attempt to bypass the appellate process. “There is absolutely no reason to rush this Witch Hunt to trial, except to injure President Trump and his 150 million, at least, supporters,” an official statement explained.
The D.C. case is being presided over by District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Recently, a federal appeals court ruled to largely uphold a gag order placed on Trump in the case, although the ruling does allow him to criticize Special Counsel Jack Smith and the prosecution.
President of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, offered his perspective on X, writing, “Jack Smith’s crazed petition to the Supreme Court in order to try to jail Trump before the election further demonstrates the URGENT need for Congress to shut down this abuse and election rigging!”
Fitton tagged Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., in his post as a heavy-handed hint that the Speaker should direct House Republicans to “shut down” Smith’s actions from a congressional standpoint.
The Trump team called the filing from Smith “completely politically motivated” and cited “Deranged” Jack Smith’s losing history in a previous Supreme Court case, where a unanimous decision overturned a conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.
According to the Washington Examiner, Smith was the prosecutor in that case, and the Trump campaign noted that in the McDonnell case, SCOTUS handed “down a rare unanimous rebuke when the Court overturned him 8-0 in the McDonnell case.”
Per Axios, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider Special Counsel Smith’s request.
“President Trump will continue to fight for Justice and oppose these authoritarian tactics,” a Trump spokesperson confirmed.