Having spent more than two years in dogged legal pursuit of Donald Trump, now-former special counsel Jack Smith is departing his position with very little to show for his efforts.

As the Daily Caller reports, Smith has announced his resignation from the Department of Justice, doing so last week by way of a discreet footnote at the end of a court filing, a move some might argue is akin to an admission of defeat at the hands of Trump.

Smith takes his leave

Smith had already signaled his plans to leave his role in the wake of Trump's sweeping electoral victory and impending return to the White House.

However, it was the quiet manner in which he let the world know that his resignation had actually been tendered that struck many as a bit surprising.

In the court filing referenced above, Smith wrote simply, “The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10,” making for an unceremonious farewell for someone who previously seemed to keen to court the spotlight.

Trump's November victory effectively brought an end to Smiths' unrelenting campaign of lawfare, with the special counsel moving to wind down both federal prosecutions of which he was in charge, though that is not to say that he hasn't attempt to fire a parting shot or two on the way out.

The filing in which Smith appended word of his resignation was in reference to a comprehensive report he has compiled concerning his investigations of Trump, something which is itself the subject of court fight over its potential release.

Trump weighs in on departure

Never one to hold back when it comes to his adversaries, Trump wasted little time in responding to Smith's exit from the DOJ, taking to his Truth Social platform to offer his two cents.

First, Trump reposted a screenshot of an X post written by Kyle Cheney of Politico, which read, “And so it ended for Jack Smith, not with the sunset ride of a conquering hero but a 24-word footnote indicating he had 'separated from the Justice Department,' his final report in limbo....”

Later on, the president-elect added, “Deranged Jack Smith was fired today by the DOJ. He is a disgrace to himself, his family, and his Country. After spending over $100,000,000 on the Witch Hunt against TRUMP, he left town empty handed!”

Trump wasn't done, going on to write, “The Stench of Deranged Jack Smith and his thugs is GONE. They were sent packing after spending oer $100,000,000, destroying the lives of many people and families, who will never be the same again.”

Putting a final punctuation mark on the matter, Trump declared, “Deranged Jack accomplished nothing, except to show what complete losers my political opponents are!!!”

Payback pending?

With Trump set for inauguration next week, legal and political observers are wondering whether the incoming administration has plans to probe Smith's actions to determine if he or those working with him at the DOJ engaged in illegal or at least unethical tactics in their quest for convictions.

With Trump attorney general nominee Pam Bondi expected to secure confirmation in the coming days and conservative activist Mike Davis of the Article III Project urging Smith to “lawyer up,” all eyes will assuredly be on the nation's capital in the weeks and months to come.