WATCH: Smith defends gag order he sought against Trump, citing threatening statements

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., questioned former special counsel Jack Smith in a committee hearing Thursday about a gag order the prosecutor sought against President Donald Trump.

Cline argued that pursuing the gag order before trial had infringed upon then-candidate Trump’s freedom of speech.

“Did you have any evidence that President Trump's statements about the cases against him intimidated witnesses or prevented them from coming forward?” Cline asked.

“I had evidence that he said, ‘If you come after me, I'm coming after you.’ … He suggested a witness should be put to death,” Smith replied, explaining why he sought the gag order.

“The courts found that those sort of statements not only deter witnesses who've come forward. They deter witnesses who have yet to come forward,” Smith added.

The hearing is focused on Smith’s investigations into President Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents and role in the Jan. 6 attack. It’s also an opportunity for the career prosecutor to publicly offer his inside perspective on the investigations, which both led to unprecedented indictments. Both were scuttled once it was clear that Trump would return to the Oval Office; Department of Justice policy prevents prosecution of a sitting president.

Republicans and the president have accused Smith of pursuing a politically motivated case against the president. Trump has denied wrongdoing while attacking Smith, calling him a "criminal" who ought to be investigated and "put in prison."

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