As news of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory spread, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and special counsel Jack Smith announced they are ending the federal cases against him.
While many assumed these cases would be dropped after he assumed office in January 2025, the DOJ’s decision to end its pursuit now has surprised many.
“What’s interesting here is that the DOJ is moving to end them even before he takes office, citing the longstanding DOJ policy that sitting presidents can’t be prosecuted,” explained MSNBC correspondent Ken Dilanian.
Dilanian added that many expected special counsel Jack Smith to keep pressing forward, perhaps even up to the inauguration.
“There was some thought that maybe Smith was going to sprint through the finish line, working until the last day, and leave it to Trump to fire him. But that doesn’t seem to be the department’s approach now. The thinking is that these cases simply can’t go forward.”
Dilanian also noted frustrations among those who hoped Trump would be “held accountable,” especially given the belief that his actions were more severe than those of former President Richard Nixon during Watergate.
The DOJ’s decision comes shortly after former Attorney General Bill Barr publicly encouraged them to drop the cases. Barr argued that the American people, by electing Trump, had delivered their own verdict on his conduct.
“The American people have rendered their decision on President Trump, decisively choosing him to lead for the next four years,” Barr said in an interview with Fox News.
“They did this with full knowledge of the accusations against him, and I think Attorney General Garland and state prosecutors should respect the people’s choice and dismiss these cases.”
The now-dismissed cases included federal charges related to Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his retention of classified documents after leaving office.
With the DOJ’s decision to drop these cases, Trump’s supporters see it as a reaffirmation of his mandate, while critics view it as a controversial end to an unprecedented chapter in U.S. politics.
