Special counsel Jack Smith’s decision to drop two major legal cases against Donald Trump has significantly reduced the former president’s legal challenges, just as he prepares for his return to the White House. The dismissal of the 2020 election interference case and the case related to mishandling classified documents, both of which had loomed large over Trump’s political comeback, marks the end of one of the most high-profile legal sagas in recent US history.
In a filing on Wednesday, Smith announced the abandonment of the federal election interference prosecution and the appeal of a judge’s dismissal of the charges related to Trump’s handling of sensitive national security documents after leaving the White House in 2021. These cases had been central to the legal threats facing Trump as he launched his third presidential bid.
The timing of the decision comes as Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20, 2025, and follows his victory in the November election. The announcement highlighted the shift in power dynamics in Washington, as the incoming president-elect is expected to end what he has called a “political hijacking” of the justice system.
Smith’s filing underscored the Department of Justice’s stance that a sitting president is legally protected from criminal prosecution. He noted that this prohibition applies even to a private citizen who is subsequently elected president. Despite this legal conclusion, Smith emphasized that the government still stood behind the strength of the cases against Trump.
While Trump’s critics, particularly on the left, had pushed for accountability over his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, the Biden administration’s slow-moving legal efforts ultimately gave way to Trump’s election victory. This development, which some had anticipated, meant that the cases against Trump were no longer a significant immediate threat.
The road to this resolution began in 2022, after Trump announced his candidacy for president. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to independently investigate Trump, which led to charges against him in June 2023 for mishandling documents and obstructing justice, and additional charges in August related to election interference. However, Trump’s legal team fought back aggressively, filing numerous challenges to the validity of the claims and stalling the trials.
The legal hurdles mounted by Trump’s team have effectively delayed any resolution of the cases, and with each legal victory, the timeline for trials moved further into the future. The new balance of power, with Trump’s return to the White House in January, made the prospect of his legal troubles continuing seem unlikely.
The case against Trump over his handling of classified documents faced multiple setbacks. In June, the US Supreme Court ruled that presidents, both current and former, have broad immunity from prosecution for actions taken while in office, casting doubt on the strength of the election-interference case. In July, a judge dismissed the document-related charges, claiming Smith’s appointment was invalid.
Smith’s decision to abandon both cases is seen as the inevitable conclusion of a legal process that had been overtaken by the political realities of the 2024 election. Trump’s team quickly hailed the move, calling it a “major victory for the rule of law.”
Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung celebrated the decision, stating, “Today’s decision by the DoJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump.” He added that Trump and the American people wanted an immediate end to the “political weaponization” of the justice system.
While Trump still faces legal challenges in New York over hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign, and a separate case in Georgia over election interference remains in legal limbo, these do not present an immediate threat. Trump also retains the power to end ongoing legal battles with a presidential pardon once he takes office.
Smith has vowed to continue pursuing legal actions against Trump’s associates in the document case, but Trump could use his executive powers to end those efforts with a pardon, further diminishing any remaining legal risks.
After years of navigating legal turmoil, Trump’s return to the presidency effectively ends the legal battles that once seemed poised to derail his political career, leaving him with four years to focus on his agenda. The conclusion of this chapter serves as a reminder of how political power can reshape the landscape of legal accountability.
