Jack Smith wants to go after Trump's 'good news boy' to crush his January 6 defense: legal expert

Longtime Donald Trump adviser and right-wing media commentator Boris Epshteyn is scheduled to give testimony to a grand jury empaneled by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

That could have huge implications for how Smith — if he decides to charge the former president — is trying to undercut any potential defense he might have, argued former Manhattan-based federal prosecutor David Kelley on MSNBC's "The Beat" Friday.

"When you look at someone like Boris Epshteyn, who has so much involvement and so many different aspects, just at an investigative level, how would you and federal prosecutors try to get this information from him?" asked anchor Ari Melber.

"So a couple of thoughts here, Ari," said Kelley. "First off, Jack Smith has taken a methodical approach here, which is encouraging, and going through all the people around the president, the former president, to find out what he knew."

"Let me add this additional thought, which I think is a little unique with Epshteyn, which is, he's reportedly the good news guy for Trump," Kelly continued. "What one of the angles, just one of them, that I think Jack Smith may be taking is, let's find out what the good news boy said to the president so he can kind of preempt a defense by saying, I was told X by a lawyer."

"They took his phone reportedly in September, so here we are," added Kelley. "They have analyzed everything, and they are carefully walking through each text to find out what was going on, what was meant, and outside of the text, what that person said to him and what he heard others say to each other."

Watch the segment below or at this link.

David Kelley on Jack Smith's pursuit of Boris Epshteynyoutu.be