Overview
- Tuesday's CNN KFile review of roughly 13,000 posts from accounts tied to Smith found years of inflammatory rhetoric, including reposts that asked “What's the punishment for treason again?” and messages invoking the death penalty for political opponents.
- The archive also contains repeated attacks on Muslim Americans, birther-style conspiracy posts about Barack Obama, and material that accused multiple officials of treason.
- Smith, who won the Republican primary in early August over Trump-backed Amir Hassan after briefly suspending his campaign in July, has replaced a bare-bones operation with a professionally rebuilt campaign presence.
- Smith told CNN he attended President Trump's January 6, 2021 rally but did not enter the Capitol, and he has not disavowed the older posts when questioned by reporters.
- The Cook Political Report moved Michigan's 8th toward Democrats after the archive surfaced, a shift that could shape turnout and messaging in a district President Trump carried narrowly in 2024 and where incumbent Kristen McDonald Rivet is now favored.