Former President Donald Trump has proposed replacing Special Counsel David Weiss with “deranged” Special Counsel Jack Smith to oversee the federal investigation of Hunter Biden.
Trump suggested the “great idea” in a Truth Social post denouncing Weiss, his own appointee for U.S. attorney, on Friday night. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss to lead the investigation into the son of President Joe Biden earlier in the day, a move that was swiftly criticized by a number of Republicans.
Garland appointed Smith last year to oversee twin investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 election outcome. The ex-president has repeatedly attacked Smith since, with the rhetoric ramping up since he was charged with 44 federal felonies.
The former president made the recommendation while once again calling Smith “deranged.” Trump also claimed that he did not “pick” Weiss to serve as a U.S. attorney in 2017, insisting that two Democratic senators from Delaware made the selection instead.
Mike Stobe
“David Weiss was picked by the two Democrat Senators from Delaware under ‘Blue Slip,'” Trump wrote. “He would not have been picked by me. But I have a great idea. Why don’t they use Deranged Jack Smith. Weiss has been investigating Hunter for 4 years, giving him the ‘sweetheart’ deal of all sweetheart deals.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to Smith’s office via email on Friday night.
While the appointment of Weiss was favored by Democratic Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper of Delaware under a senatorial tradition known as the “blue-slip” policy, the choice to nominate Weiss ultimately fell to Trump.
At the time, Trump’s White House hailed Weiss and seven other U.S. attorney appointees for sharing “the President’s vision for ‘Making America Safe Again.'”
The “sweetheart” deal mentioned by Trump refers to a plea agreement that was offered to Hunter Biden after Weiss charged him with failure to pay federal income taxes and illegally possessing a firearm.
Biden’s deal was rejected last month by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee. The former president on Friday praised Noreika as “brilliant” for seeing “through it all” by rejecting the plea deal.
Weiss filed a motion on Friday to move the venue of the tax charges against Biden from Delaware to either Washington, D.C., or California, where Biden lived when the alleged crimes took place.
Trump complained about the requested venue change. He argued that he had a “far stronger reason” to request a change of venue for his own coming trial in Washington, D.C., where he has claimed it would be “impossible” for him to get a fair trial.
“A brilliant Judge in Delaware saw through it all,” wrote Trump. “Now, I read, the Department of Injustice wants a new Judge and Jurisdiction. But so do I, with far stronger reasons than Hunter & Crooked Joe. MAGA!!!”
