Attorney General Merrick Garland gave his first public comments on Donald Trump’s historic arrest this week, saying Wednesday that the special counsel he appointed carried out his duties appropriately.
Taking questions from reporters at an event about tackling violent crime, Garland said he wouldn’t comment on details of the case against the former president but said special counsel Jack Smith, whom he named to take over two investigations into Trump in November, was highly qualified.
“As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to both independence and accountability,” Garland said. “Mr. Smith is a veteran career prosecutor. He has assembled a group of experienced and talented prosecutors and agents who share his commitment to integrity. Any questions about this matter will have to be answered by their filings in court.”
When asked what his role was in Trump’s indictment process, Garland said he followed the rule of the law.
“My role has been completely consistent with the regulations set forth in the responsibilities of the attorney general under the special counsel regulations, and I followed those regulations,” he said.
Garland’s comments come a day after Trump was arrested and charged on 37 federal counts for allegedly mishandling highly classified national security documents and refusing to return them. Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and was legally cleared under the Presidential Records Act to take documents from the White House ― even though the law is unambiguous about the government owning all presidential records.
Trump issued a rant on Truth Social, his social media site, after being booked in Miami.
“POLITICAL PERSECUTION!” he wrote late Tuesday night. “They want to take away my FREEDOM because I will never let them take away your FREEDOM. They are not coming after me. They are coming after you. I just happen to be standing in their way, and I will NEVER be moving.”