Legal experts and conservative political pundits have expressed outrage and concern following former President Donald Trump's claim that he has received a letter informing him that he is a target of the Justice Department's investigation into the January 6 riot.
Trump took to his new social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday morning to share his expectation of facing arrest and indictment based on a letter he allegedly received from Special Counsel Jack Smith. According to Trump, the letter stated that he is a "target of the January 6th grand jury investigation" and gave him four days to report to the Grand Jury.
The announcement by Trump has raised eyebrows among legal experts and conservative figures. Brett Tolman, former U.S. attorney and executive director of Right on Crime, took to Twitter to express his confusion, stating that it makes no sense for Smith to send Trump a target letter and then require him to appear in front of the Grand Jury.
Tolman argued that this approach could compromise the case by allowing Trump to plead the Fifth Amendment and potentially undermine due process rights.
Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch, expressed his concern over the alleged abuse of power by partisans who now seek to arrest Trump on political charges. Fitton described this as a dire threat to the rule of law. Similarly, radio host and author Mark Levin criticized the "rogue Biden prosecutor," the Attorney General who approved the investigation, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI for their campaign to destroy Trump and re-elect Biden.
Julie Kelly, author and senior contributor to American Greatness, suggested that Trump could potentially be charged with seditious conspiracy. She highlighted the irony that if Trump had committed other illegal activities, such as buying a gun illegally or evading taxes, the DOJ would have turned a blind eye. Federalist CEO Sean Davis echoed this sentiment in a tweet, referencing the DOJ's investigation into Hunter Biden and emphasizing that Trump had only encouraged peaceful protests.
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz criticized the continued politicization and weaponization of the DOJ, arguing that it undermines the rule of law. Trump himself claimed in his post that he has been effectively indicted three times and expects a fourth indictment from Atlanta. He labeled the investigation a "witch hunt" and accused law enforcement of political weaponization.
A government source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to Fox News that Smith's office did indeed send Trump a target letter. It is worth noting that Trump is already facing 34 felony charges in New York City related to allegations of falsifying business records, as well as federal charges related to the handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
He has pleaded not guilty in both cases. Additionally, prosecutors in Georgia are conducting a separate investigation into Trump's efforts to reverse the election results in that state, with charging decisions expected to be announced next month.
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