Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of Donald Trump during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Smith testified that his investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump engaged in serious crimes and a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results, vowing that he will not be silenced by threats of jail from the president.

During the testimony, Smith confirmed his team obtained personal checks from 4,782 donors and accessed communications from 15 media outlets, including Bloomberg and CNN, via a June 2, 2023 subpoena. The session turned volatile when Senator Eric Schmitt called Smith a "total dirtbag" and accused him of perjury for attending a basketball game in Atlanta; however, Senator Amy Klobuchar corrected Schmitt, stating Smith had actually attended an Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland. Smith also called it an "outrage" that members of his prosecution team were allegedly targeted and fired illegally.