Schmitt: Trump should fire DOJ staff who investigated his cases

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said Sunday he thinks President-elect Trump should fire the Department of Justice (DOJ) staff who investigated his legal cases.

Schmitt joined NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he weighed in on the future of the DOJ as Trump prepares to take office again and as concerns grow that he will use the department as a legal powerhouse to go after his enemies.

Schmitt argued that the Biden administration abused its power in bringing forth legal challenges against Trump and that the DOJ needs “accountability,” something he thinks Pam Bondi, Trump’s new attorney general pick, will bring to the job.

Host Kristen Welker pressed Schmitt on what accountability will look like, particularly if special counsel Jack Smith and current Attorney General Merrick Garland will be prosecuted.

“I think accountability means first and foremost the people involved in this should be fired immediately,” Schmitt replied. “And anybody part of this effort to keep President Trump off the ballot and to throw him in jail for the rest of his life because they didn’t like his politics and continue to cast him as a quote-unquote threat to democracy was wrong.”

Schmitt said “we’ll see” where the department goes with Bondi at the top. Bondi still has to be confirmed by the Senate before she becomes attorney general.

A year ago, Trump was staring down four potential criminal trials on 91 charges, which would amount to decades in prison. Winning the election means they’re effectively coming to a halt. He’s the first convicted felon to reach the nation’s highest office.