“We have a Department of Justice today that targets people for criminal prosecution simply because the president doesn’t like them,”

“We have a department that fails to investigate cases because they might uncover facts that are inconvenient narratives the president would like to press,” he said.

“To erode the rule of law in our country, you need to attack these people, and that is what we have seen since January of 2025,” Mr. Smith said, adding, “This attack on public servants — it’s not a byproduct of the attack on the rule of law. It is a central component of it.”