During a recent interview, Julie Kelly, an independent journalist, had an in-depth conversation about the possibility of Jack Smith, the special prosecutor, who is currently considering pressing charges against former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the Capitol incursion on January 6. Additionally, there is speculation that Smith may be contemplating measures to keep Trump in custody until the trial concludes. Kelly points out that this potential scenario unfolds within Washington, D.C.’s friendly yet politically charged courtroom arena, where Democrats hold significant sway.
Kelly referred to a similar case involving William Chrestman, a strong supporter of Trump and a member of the Proud Boys from Kansas City. He is currently being held in a jail in D.C. and awaiting trial. The gravity of Chrestman’s situation was underscored by his mother’s statement to the Kansas City Star, expressing her belief that her son might not regain his freedom until Trump returns to office and pardons him.
Judge Beryl Howell’s order on February 26, 2021, granted the prosecutor’s request to hold Chrestman without bail; this further exemplified the severity of the situation. Judge Howell, incidentally, was also the presiding Judge who ruled in Smith’s favor to breach the confidentiality between Trump and his attorneys under the “crime-fraud exception.”
Delving deeper into Judge Howell’s past actions, Kelly highlighted the Judge’s previous involvement in pressing prosecutors to take a more stringent approach in handling January 6 defendants. The Judge’s ruling presented an interesting point of view, implying that those who led the Capitol attack and incited others to engage in misconduct could have influenced additional criminal actions indirectly.
Considering Jack Smith’s fervent pursuit of nailing Trump in an ostensibly independent investigation of classified documents, the entire political world is currently awaiting his public pronouncement on whether Trump will face charges in relation to the Capitol incursion. Moreover, Kelly speculated about the likelihood of Smith going even further by attempting to keep Trump incarcerated during the pretrial phase.
The implications of such a course of action would undoubtedly be far-reaching, significantly impacting the nation’s electoral process. If a former president is detained before their case reaches court, it may lead to comparisons with show trials from Moscow in the 1930s. This could raise concerns about the fairness and transparency of the legal system.
However, despite potential confinement, Trump’s determination to campaign for the GOP nomination from jail and participate in the general election remains steadfast, a prospect that could resonate strongly with Republican voters.
When describing the ongoing attempts by Democrats and mainstream media to discredit and weaken Trump since his entry into national politics in 2015, Kelly highlighted the all-consuming nature of their determination to bring him down. While the impeachment attempts against him commenced even before he was sworn into office, Democrats intensified their pursuit by impeaching him twice after gaining control of the House in 2018.
Within this highly polarized political landscape, the actions of a special counsel like Jack Smith, diligently working to attack Trump, acquire added significance when operating within the already politically biased legal terrain of the nation’s capital. The differing treatment of Hunter Biden and his purported corruption brings attention to the inequalities in how the legal system deals with various cases. This raises concerns about the uniformity and impartiality of the system’s procedures.
As speculation about Smith’s intentions persists, and the country looks on, one can’t help but wonder how far Jack Smith is willing to go and whether the depths of the political swamp have a discernible bottom.