Former special counsel Jack Smith believes the Trump administration will indict him, he said during congressional testimony on Thursday.
Why it matters: Smith's prediction follows the Trump administration's repeated prosecution of the president's political enemies. President Trump has called Smith a criminal.
Driving the news: Hours into the public hearing, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) asked Smith if he thinks the Justice Department would "find some way" to indict him.
- "I believe they will do everything in their power to do that because they have been ordered to by the president," Smith said.
- Balint responded, "That is very concerning."
Context: Smith's Thursday testimony was his first public defense of Trump's prosecution.
- He previously testified before the panel in an eight-hour, closed-door session but sought an open forum to defend the investigation.
Friction point: Trump, earlier in the afternoon, wrote on Truth Social that he hoped Attorney General Pam Bondi was "looking at what he's done."
- "Deranged Jack Smith is being DECIMATED before Congress," Trump wrote... " The president added Smith "shouldn't be allowed to practice Law."
The White House referred Axios to Trump's Truth Social posts.
- The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
The latest: "Trump has a playbook for how he handles people who try to hold him accountable," Balint said in her exchange with Smith.
- "I think the statements are meant to intimidate me," Smith said. "I will not be intimidated. I think these statements are also made as a warning to others — what will happen if they stand up."
- "We followed the facts and we followed the law and that process resulted in proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed serious crimes," he added. "I'm not going to pretend that didn't happen because he's threatening me."
Go deeper: Jack Smith makes first public defense of Trump indictments
