special counsel Jack Smith moved to drop two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday Smith acknowledged that Trump’s return to the White House would prevent any federal prosecution for keeping classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat the decision followed long-standing justice department policy which says sitting presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted still it marked a significant end to an unprecedented chapter in political and legal history as Federal officials tried to hold a former president accountable while he was is running for another term Trump emerges Victorious having delayed the investigations with legal Maneuvers and winning reelection despite the indictments which described his actions as a threat to the country’s constitutional foundations