Ex-federal prosecutor Randall Eliason is calling on Special Counsel Jack Smith to have Donald Trump’s passport seized after the former president suggested that he might flee to Venezuela.
During a livestream conversation with Elon Musk on Monday, Trump hinted that he might move to Venezuela if he loses the November presidential election.
“If something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we’ll meet the next time in Venezuela, because it’ll be a far safer place to meet than our country,” Trump told Musk. “OK, so we’ll go. You and I will go, and we’ll have a meeting and dinner in Venezuela.”
In a post on X, Eliason, a George Washington University Law School professor noted that U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan did not require Trump to surrender his passport as a condition of his pretrial release.
“In light of this interview, Smith should move to modify Trump’s release conditions and have her require that he give up his passport,” Eliason added.
Trump is already convicted of 34 felony charges in New York state. He also faces federal charges related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 election brought by Smith. The trial will likely take place only if Trump loses the November election.
Earlier this month, Chutkan denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the indictment after the Supreme Court ruled that he has some level of immunity for the conduct related to the case.
Chutkan will ultimately have to determine what aspects of Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6 alleged in the indictment were official and therefore immune from prosecution.
In the meantime, Chutkan has granted Smith’s request for a three week delay to prepare for the changes brought by the Supreme Court ruling.
