South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has sent an ominous message to Special Counsel Jack Smith as Donald Trump was about to be announced as the winner of the 2024 election.

Early Wednesday morning, just before Trump took the stage in West Palm Beach, Florida, to deliver his victory speech, Graham posted a note on X “to Jack Smith and your team.”

“It’s time to look forward to a new chapter in your legal career as these politically motivated charges against President Trump hit a wall,” Graham wrote.

“The Supreme Court has substantially rejected what you tried to do, and after tonight it is clear that the American people are tired of the legal industry. Put an end to these things. The American people deserve payback.”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November 2022 to determine whether Trump should face criminal charges as a result of investigations into the former president’s alleged mishandling of national security materials and his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol .

Smith accused Trump last year in Florida of keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club, and in Washington over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

With the election just months away, Trump’s legal team tried to delay the proceedings as much as possible.

Their case gained support in July, when the Supreme Court granted broad immunity to former presidents and narrowed the scope of prosecution.

Smith and his team detailed their case against Trump in a 165-page dossier released in October, arguing that Trump should not be entitled to immunity from prosecution. In the filing, federal prosecutors said Trump “resorted to crimes” in a failed attempt to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, and that he is not entitled to immunity from prosecution.

Smith and his team’s charges weren’t the only ones to irritate Trump since he left office in 2021. When he takes office in January, Trump will be the first convicted criminal to win the White House and gain access to the nuclear codes.

In May, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying company records related to a hush money payment to pornographic film performer Stormy Daniels. The sentencing was originally scheduled for September 18, but was postponed until November 26 after Trump requested a delay until after the election. It is unclear whether the date will remain.

Since the Smith case was revealed in October, Trump has spoken publicly about how he would immediately fire Smith if re-elected.

Speaking to conservative podcast host Hugh Hewitt, who asked whether Trump would pardon himself or fire the special counsel, Trump said: “Oh, it’s so easy. It’s so easy… I’d fire him in two seconds.”

Read more about the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage