Trump Praises Rep. Brandon Gill’s Attack on Jack Smith’s “Witch Hunt”

Trump amplifies Texas Congressman Brandon Gill's on-air criticism of former Special Counsel Jack Smith, accusing him of lying to Congress and destroying lives.

First Published: July 26, 2026, 6:11 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump praised Representative Brandon Gill, the youngest Republican in Congress, for attacking former Special Counsel Jack Smith on television and repeating claims that Smith lied under oath.

Trump, in a post on truthsocial, backed Gill’s on-air remarks about Smith’s prosecutions of the president and called the investigations an illegitimate effort. He offered no evidence for the assertion that Smith lied to lawmakers.

“Congressman Brandon Gill (Texas!) was Fantastic tonight on the Trey Gowdy Show, especially as he talked about Deranged Jack Smith and his illegitimate Witch Hunt,” Trump wrote. He added that Smith “stone cold lied before Congress, and worse,” that Smith “destroyed many lives,” and that “Hopefully he will be treated accordingly!”

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Congressman Brandon Gill (Texas!) was Fantastic tonight on the Trey Gowdy Show, especially as he talked about Deranged Jack Smith and his illegitimate Witch Hunt. The Deranged One stone cold lied before Congress, and worse. He destroyed many lives. Hopefully he will be treated accordingly! President DJT” on July 26, 2026 at 9:56 PM ET.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 22 of his 439 posts over the last 30 days focused on legal matters, according to Zenger analysis.

Gill represents Texas’s 26th Congressional District, a suburban area anchored in Denton County north of Dallas and Fort Worth. Born in 1994, the former investment banker and founder of the online newspaper D.C. Enquirer won his seat in 2024 with more than 60% of the general-election vote, according to wikipedia.org. He sits on the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, according to house.gov.

The stakes center on how Republicans treat Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump before both cases ended after the 2024 election. Allies of the president stand to gain political momentum from portraying those cases as improper, while Smith faces sustained calls for punishment from lawmakers and the White House. Trump did not specify what treatment he wanted.

Gill has built a record of aggressive legal fights during his short tenure. He introduced articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg in 2025 over rulings on deportations. Chief Justice John Roberts responded that impeachment was “not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” according to wikipedia.org. Gill filed a second impeachment resolution against Boasberg in November 2025, according to wikipedia.org.

For the average reader, the exchange signals continued conflict between the White House and the officials who investigated the president, a dispute that shapes how federal prosecutors and judges operate. The rhetoric carries no immediate change to law or policy.

This has happened before. Trump repeatedly targeted prosecutors and investigators throughout his first term and his 2024 campaign, using terms such as “Witch Hunt” to describe inquiries into his conduct.

No date for any formal action against Smith has been announced, and Congress has scheduled no vote tied to Trump’s post.

Presidential clashes with prosecutors are not new to American politics. President Richard Nixon fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox on October 20, 1973, in the episode known as the Saturday Night Massacre, prompting the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy. The firing accelerated impeachment proceedings. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, the only U.S. president to leave office that way.