Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed that the Department of Justice would not become a “political weapon” in a Thursday speech, failing to mention his department’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
In his remarks to the career staff at the department, Garland vowed to maintain the purportedly apolitical “norms” that he claims defines department activities, including the decision-making process for who to prosecute and when to bring charges.
“Our norms are a promise that we will fiercely protect the independence of this Department from political interference in our criminal investigations. Our norms are a promise that we will not allow this Department to be used as a political weapon,” Garland said. “Our norms are a promise that we will not allow this nation to become a country where law enforcement is treated as an apparatus of politics.”
While attempting to drive the narrative that his department does not partake in political activities, and would never attempt to influence an election, Garland made no mention of the two federal cases the DOJ has brought against Trump.
The Trump campaign responded to Garland’s speech Thursday afternoon.
“Comrade Kamala Harris has weaponized the DOJ to target her political opponent, President Trump, in an unconstitutional and unprecedented Witch Hunt. The disgraceful conduct of Attorney General Merrick Garland has done tremendous damage to a once great institution,” Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a press release. “Using phony charges to interfere with the presidential election on behalf of the Democrat Party has to
