Donald Trump is maneuvering behind the scenes. His enemies are in for a rude awakening.
Because this Trump witch hunt came crashing down and now people are losing their jobs.
Senator Eric Schmitt made a bold call on Sunday, urging President-elect Donald Trump to clean house at the Justice Department by firing anyone involved in the criminal cases against him.
Speaking on NBC News’ Meet the Press, the Missouri Republican slammed the charges against Trump as politically motivated and an abuse of power.
“First and foremost, the people involved with this should be fired immediately,” Schmitt declared. “Anybody [who was] part of this, this effort to keep President Trump off the ballot and to throw him in jail for the rest of his life because they didn’t like his politics, and who continue to cast him as a quote, unquote threat to democracy, was wrong.”
Trump has been equally clear about his intentions. Before the election, he promised swift action against special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing two federal cases against him.
“It’s so easy. I would fire him within two seconds,” Trump said at the time. “He’ll be one of the first things addressed.”
While Trump could remove Smith upon taking office, two state-level cases in Georgia and New York remain beyond the president’s reach. Both cases, however, are currently stalled.
In Georgia, a racketeering case tied to Trump’s challenge of the 2020 election results faces delays due to conflict-of-interest issues surrounding Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Meanwhile, in New York, sentencing in Trump’s hush money conviction has been indefinitely postponed.
Smith has also hit pause, halting progress on appeals and other legal maneuvers in his federal cases. Schmitt, a former Missouri attorney general, called these setbacks proof that the cases were never legally sound.
“They all fell apart under the weight of the law,” Schmitt said, adding that accountability within the Justice Department is critical. “I think that getting it back to crime-fighting is important, but there has to be accountability for these kinds of abuses.”
Democrats, who often accused Trump of planning to politicize the Justice Department during his campaign, face scrutiny of their own after years of weaponizing it against Trump. Republicans are now questioning whether Trump will pursue reforms that prevent further abuses.
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma weighed in, noting the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s future leadership of the department.
“I don’t think we know that one way or the other. I think President Trump does want people that are loyal to him,” Lankford said on CNN’s State of the Union. “He wants to make sure that the people that are around him in the Cabinet are at least directionally the right direction.”
The role of attorney general is under heightened focus after Trump’s first nominee, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, withdrew amid scandals involving a House Ethics Committee report. Trump’s second choice, Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and key figure in his first impeachment defense, has faced criticism but remains a contender.
Lankford emphasized that while the attorney general must align with the president’s priorities, the role must remain grounded in fairness and justice.
“It’s very important. When you talk about the attorney general, they’re the key component of the prosecution of federal crimes around the country,” he said. “Every single U.S. attorney around the country works for them and with them.”
Lankford also acknowledged Bondi’s potential to balance loyalty with impartiality.
“It would be fair for Ms. Bondi to step in and say, ‘We’re not going to allow someone to try to undercut the president of the United States in this Department of Justice,’” he said. “You have got to actually be balanced and about justice, not about attacking the president.”
With growing calls for accountability and reform, the stage is set for a fierce battle over the future of the Justice Department.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
