What are the possible impacts of legal actions against officials on public trust in government?

Former special counsel Jack Smith believes the Trump administration will indict him, he said during congressional testimony on Thursday. Why it matters: Smith's prediction follows the Trump administration's repeated prosecution of the president's political enemies. President Trump has called Smith a criminal. Driving the news: Hours into the public hearing, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) asked Smith if he thinks the Justice Department would "find some way" to indict him. "I believe they will do everything in their power to do that because they have been ordered to by the president," Smith said. Balint responded, "That is very concerning." Context: Smith's Thursday testimony was his first public defense of Trump's prosecution. He previously testified before the panel in an eight-hour, closed-door session but sought an open forum to defend the investigation. Friction point: Trump, earlier in the afternoon, wrote on Truth Social that he hoped Attorney General Pam Bondi was "looking at what he's done." "Deranged Jack Smith is being DECIMATED before Congress," Trump wrote. " The president added Smith "shouldn't be allowed to practice Law." The White House referred Axios to Trump's Truth Social posts. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. The latest: "Trump has a playbook for how he handles people who try to hold him accountable," Balint said in her exchange with Smith. "I think the statements are meant to intimidate me," Smith said. "I will not be intimidated. I think these statements are also made as a warning to others — what will happen if they stand up.""We followed the facts and we followed the law and that process resulted in proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed serious crimes," he added. "I'm not going to pretend that didn't happen because he's threatening me." Go deeper: Jack Smith makes first public defense of Trump indictments