Trump's Team Lashes Out at Jack Smith Over Viral Shirt Incident

WHO:

Alternet - Jack Smith, former special counsel; Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director; Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO); Bruce Springsteen, anti-Trump rocker; Tom Morello, guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.

NY Post - Jack Smith, ex-special counsel; White House officials.

WHAT:

Alternet - Trump's communications director posted an angry message on X criticizing Jack Smith for wearing an anti-Trump shirt at a concert.

Alternet - Cheung referred to Smith as a "scumbag" and accused him of being a "partisan attack rat for Democrats" who weaponized the justice system against Trump.

Alternet - Smith was photographed wearing a "No Kings" protest T-shirt at the "Power to the People" festival.

Alternet - Sen. Eric Schmitt accused Smith of perjuring himself during a hearing, claiming Smith had been in Atlanta, which was later proven incorrect.

NY Post - The White House criticized Jack Smith as a "partisan attack rat for Democrats."

WHERE:

Alternet - The "Power to the People" festival took place in Maryland.

Alternet - The hearing involving Jack Smith occurred in a congressional setting.

WHEN:

Alternet - The accusation of perjury by Sen. Schmitt was based on an event that occurred in February 2024.

Alternet - Smith was photographed at the concert on a Saturday.

WHY:

Alternet - Trump's team is continuing their campaign against Smith due to his previous investigations into Trump and the perception of political bias.

HOW:

Alternet - Cheung expressed his views through a post on X, criticizing Smith's actions and the implications of his attire at the concert.

(UPDATED October 5, 2026 20:02 UTC)

Trump's communications director, Steven Cheung, has publicly criticized Jack Smith for wearing an anti-Trump shirt at a concert, calling him a "scumbag" and accusing him of being a "partisan attack rat for Democrats." This backlash follows Smith's appearance at the "Power to the People" festival in Maryland, where he was photographed in a protest T-shirt, and comes amid ongoing tensions stemming from Smith's previous investigations into Trump. Additionally, Senator Eric Schmitt has accused Smith of perjury during a congressional hearing, a claim that has since been proven incorrect.