On September 29, 2026, the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee once again questioned DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith—and Senator Booker had enough and erupted into a needed display of civic duty. Following are excerpts from his comments.
Let me get back to what the reality of the American people and what they’re witnessing right now. This is gaslighting the American people. It has been going on for eight years.
Thirty days before an election when people are demanding their gas prices go down. We’ve got a whole lot of hot wind energy and gaslighting continuing to perpetuate the big lie in America that Donald Trump was somehow cheated out of the 2020 election. We are using precious time of one of the most vaunted committees in American history, the Judiciary Committee to perpetrate one of the biggest gaslighting attempts we have ever seen in our 250 years as a country. That somehow Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
… And I’m watching today people say, “Oh, this is an unprecedented investigation.” This man did unprecedented things. Heck yeah, he did unprecedented things, because when has the United States of America seen people storm the Capitol and start to stop the peaceful transfer of power, beating Capitol Police officers nearly to death? Brian Sicknick died days after his savage beating.
… This is utterly ridiculous. I am so upset that their fealty is to Donald Trump and not the Constitution. I am so sorry that they’re attempting to put investigators on trial while ignoring the extraordinary conduct they are duty-bound to really investigate.
… While our capital was under attack, Republicans and Democrats running for [their] life, Donald Trump was attempting to reach senators as a part of that delay in certification, that is part of a criminal investigation that understandably should be looked at. Think about that. The Capitol’s under attack. Members are fleeing for their lives. The Vice President’s being rushed to safety, and the President of the United States is still working the phones in an effort to stop the peaceful transfer of power.
You all know what happened with Kevin McCarthy. The Republican leader of the House calls the president, begs him to call off the mob. Please call off the mob. And according to the evidence that you uncovered Donald Trump’s response. “Well, Kevin. I guess the people are more upset about the elections than you are.” Hours more still pass. And even after all that, Rudy Giuliani is still calling Senators asking them to slow down the certification.
Mr. Smith, I-I’m sorry, I want to be clear about this. What you were investigating is not something trivial. It’s not a smash and grab crime. It is the biggest assault on our democratic traditions in over a century. And the danger that it unleashed.
… Jack Smith: We found that he caused that violence, that it was foreseeable to him, and that he sought to exploit it.
… And dear God, one of the greatest attempts to undermine our democracy since the Confederates betrayed this nation and started the Civil War. That’s what this was. And the noble police officers who stood in the gap before a mob who had savagely beaten [them] had been pardoned. People who savagely beat police officers were pardoned. And what has happened to the career prosecutors, the career FBI agents? That did their job, that followed the evidence. Mr. Smith, what’s happened to them?
Jack Smith: They’ve been fired unlawfully, they’ve been publicly vilified, and they’ve been attacked in every possible way. It is inconceivable to me how you can pardon people who assault law enforcement officers and then vilify the officers who are trying to uphold the rule of law.
Sir, Thank you.
… They choose Trump over truth, corruption and crimes over the Constitution. And I’ve had enough of it. This could, this hearing is a farce, and I’m sorry for what you and your family are enduring as a result.
Thank you.
Note: See the whole 13-minute critical speech at MUST WATCH: Cory Booker Goes Absolutely Nuclear On Trump During GOP’s ‘Farce’ Jack Smith Hearing.
