Former President Donald Trump on on Tuesday that he was informed by special counsel Jack Smith that he is a target in the Jan. 6 criminal investigation. Smith already has criminally charged Trump with about three dozen counts related to retaining classified documents when he left the White House. Letters sent by the Department of Justice provide its recipients the chance to testify before a grand jury after the DOJ determines there is substantial evidence linking them to a crime.

In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump also suggested he may soon face indictment for the Jan. 6 probe, which is focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.  He said: “Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.”  He added that he was given what he called the “horrifying news” on Sunday evening by his lawyers.

Trump is the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination; and his lawyers have asked that any trial in that case take place after the 2024 election. Smith’s prosecutors oppose that bid.  Additionally, Trump is separately under criminal investigation by a Georgia state prosecutor for his attempt to get election officials there to reverse his loss to Biden in Georgia.

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