Welcome to Meet the Press Now.

I'm Kristen Welker in Washington on a day where questions about the future of the rule of law in this country are front and center.

We begin on Capitol Hill where former special

counsel Jack Smith, who brought criminal charges against President Trump for trying to overturn

the 2020 election, testified publicly for the first time today. In a confrontational and

highly partisan hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Smith stood by his determination that his investigation

had uncovered evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump committed multiple

crimes. And he issued this stark warning about the rule of law. After nearly 30 years of public

service, including in international settings, I have seen how the rule

of law can erode. My fear is that we have seen the rule of law function in our country

for so long that many of us have come to take it for granted. The rule of law is not self-executing.

It depends on our collective commitment to apply it.

It requires dedicated service on behalf of others, especially when that service is difficult and comes with costs.

Now, those comments coming just hours before the president urged his attorney general

Pam Bondi to investigate Smith.

Posting on social media, quote, deranged Jack Smith is being decimated before Congress.

Hopefully, the attorney general is looking at what he's done, including some of the crooked

and corrupt witnesses

that he was attempting to use in his case against me. A big price should be paid by them

for what they have put our country through. Smith then reacting to that social media post

and testifying he believes the Trump Justice Department will target him.

With respect to me, I think the reports, I'm sorry, the statements are meant to intimidate me.

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