It’s symbolic because this investigation isn’t going anywhere, but at least one Republican is attempting to end the Justice Department’s witch hunt against former President Donald Trump. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said he would introduce legislation to defund the special counsel investigation headed by Jack Smith (via Fox News):
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., announced Tuesday he would be introducing legislation in the House of Representatives "to defund" Special Counsel Jack Smith's grand jury investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
"I will be introducing legislation to DEFUND Jack Smith’s witch hunt against President Trump," Gaetz wrote on Twitter just hours after former President Donald Trump confirmed on social media that he had been notified he was a target in the investigation and expected to face an arrest and indictment.
"They are attacking our democracy and engaging in election interference right now. The United States Congress has the capability to stop this election interference, and we must act immediately!" Gaetz added.
BREAKING: I will be introducing legislation to DEFUND Jack Smith’s witch hunt against President Trump.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) July 18, 2023
They are attacking our democracy and engaging in election interference right now.
The United States Congress has the capability to stop this election interference, and we must… pic.twitter.com/g8ZAc4PAyb
Smith indicted Trump over the classified document controversy in a 37-count indictment, with a trial that could start after the 2024 election. He’s also investigating the former president for “conspiracy and tampering” over January 6. Rolling Stone had the exclusive on that, a publication ruined by pushing a fake gang rape story at the University of Virginia in 2014. We’ll see if those are the charges, but Trump also got a letter informing him he was the target of that probe. He’ll likely be indicted, even though the FBI’s August 2021 report found no evidence of a coordinated attack at the direction of Trump.
Trump calls Biden and the DOJ OUT in Truth Social post about his expected J6 arrest and indictment https://t.co/IkQFZT43It
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) July 18, 2023
Trump expects “arrest and indictment” in connection to January 6th investigation. pic.twitter.com/pkdBqc1ZTQ
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) July 18, 2023
The former president is also facing an even more comical indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over his hush money payment to ex-porn star Stormy Daniels, a charge that even legal experts say seldom goes to trial, let alone carries jail time for past offenders. The statute of limitations has long expired, but Bragg employed some hack legalese citing then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID declaration paused the timeline of criminal statutes due to COVID. Of all three, this indictment—Bragg—is the one that reeks the most of political bias and opportunism.
On top of this nonsense, Trump is still in a legal showdown with E. Jean Carroll in a new civil suit. Thus far, all this legal drama has yet to impact his standing in the 2024 race, where he’s still the Republican Party’s frontrunner for the nomination.