The special counsel’s big moment
While special counsel Jack Smith has long been known as a no-nonsense prosecutor, he wasn’t expected to be a powerful or effective communicator. For a long time, the only photo we’d seen of Smith was from his work as a prosecutor of war crimes at The Hague. And picking out the sound of his voice would have been pretty challenging.
But even as he continues to be a man of few words, he has proven to be quite an adept communicator. And he has also proved that compelling communication is not always about the number of words delivered on camera.
Let’s start with the two federal indictments of former President Donald Trump. A “speaking indictment” is not a term I was familiar with just a few months ago. But what we all learned is it is not a stodgy, boring legal brief, but a storytelling document. This week’s indictment guides the reader through the two months leading up to Jan 6 — explaining what happened in a detailed and gripping play-by-play.
And in a rare appearance before the cameras (his second since his appointment as special counsel), Smith gave his most impassioned public remarks to date, specifically defending the patriotism and the courage of the Capitol Police.
Jack Smith has been a man of few words (on purpose it seems) but this was so powerful..“The men and women of law enforcement who defended the US Capitol on January 6 our heroes. There are patriots and they are the very best of us. They did not just defend a building or the people…
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) August 2, 2023
At this point, I don’t expect the public will hear a lot more from Smith. But he has already provided the tools needed to communicate about the two federal indictments of the former president.
A story you should be following: Charges against fake electors
Last month, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed criminal charges against 16 Republicans who served as fake electors in 2020.
As one of the seven states that submitted forged certificates falsely declaring Trump the winner of the 2020 election, Michigan is the first to criminally charge these fake electors. Could Michigan’s push for criminal charges serve as a model for other states? I’ll be watching closely to see if others follow suit. (No pun intended).
‘I think we’re going to see a lot more indictments’: Michigan AG on overlap in Trump cases
In Wisconsin, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has kept pretty quiet on whether he will pursue similar charges, but he has indicated he’s waiting to see how federal prosecutors handle the case that’s now been brought against the former president.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes assigned a team of prosecutors to investigate Republicans’ attempts to overturn the election in her state. According to recent reporting, that investigation is in its “fact-gathering” phase.
We’re expecting word from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the upcoming weeks on her investigation into Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the election in the state of Georgia.
Last month, two Trump allies who both served as fake electors from the state of Nevada testified before a federal grand jury and received partial immunity in exchange for their testimony.
The forged electoral slates in the final two states differ slightly from those of the other five, because the certificates contained a clause that may reduce the legal liability of the fake electors who signed them. The fake elector scheme in New Mexico, which is mentioned only sparsely in the 34-page indictment, was not investigated at the state level after being referred to federal authorities last year. And in Pennsylvania, then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro (now the state’s governor) said in a statement last year that “our office does not believe this meets the legal standards for forgery.”
Mehdi Hasan’s weekend routine
What show are you bingeing on right now?
“Secret Invasion.” It’s no “Loki” or “Wandavision” but I watch everything Marvel. Plus I am a Samuel L. Jackson fan and I would even pay to watch him read out names in the phone directory.
What’s the last book you read?
I am trying to finish the nonfiction bestseller from James Clear, “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones,” because I do have some really bad habits, including procrastination — which is why I haven’t still finished reading “Atomic Habits”!
What time do you wake up on the weekends?
I do a show on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on MSNBC, so my weekend is a very Middle East weekend om Friday and Saturday. It’s cool when the kids are in school on Fridays and I can get a lie-in. Like, 10 a.m.? 10:30 if I’m lucky? I am a night person, basically.
How do you take your coffee?
I don’t drink coffee. Have never even tasted it. Which surprises people because of how intense and hyper I always seem to be! My only caffeine intake is the occasional Coke Zero.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.