Trump Claims He Is A 'TARGET' Of Special Counsel's Jan. 6 Probe
The former president wrote he was given "HORRIFYING NEWS" Sunday evening about another potential indictment.
Jack Smith is not playing around.
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That's sort of how probes work. Not a lot to investigate without a target.
The takeaway here is that he's actually received a Target Letter, which indicates a strong belief that there is substantial evidence against him and that criminal charges are being seriously considered. It's a procedural step, and one that many people likely inferred, but it is important and shows a concrete stance on the investigation. It's worth noting that "Target" is a specifically defined legal term in this context, on relevant part:
A "target" is a person as to whom the prosecutor or the grand jury has substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is a putative defendant....
USAM 9-11.151
The hed construction is nonetheless really weird. "Claims" is a pretty standard Trump-hed verb, but it's inappropriate here. Throwing "target" in quotes additionally serves to cast doubt on a very straightforward piece of news.