U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke favorably of Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith in his first public words since former president Donald Trump's federal indictment last Thursday.
Trump, who was indicted last week and arraigned on Tuesday, is facing 37 counts, ranging from willful retention of classified documents to obstruction in connection with the DOJ's investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving office. He is the first president to face federal charges.
The indictment, which was brought by DOJ special counsel Jack Smith, accuses Trump of mishandling sensitive presidential records and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. Trump has maintained his innocence, accusing federal prosecutors of investigating him for political reasons.
Trump and several of his Republican allies such as Senator JD Vance and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene have accused the DOJ of unfair investigations into conservative political figures compared to their Democratic counterparts. However, when pressed by reporters at a meeting with U.S. attorneys at the Department of Justice on Wednesday, Garland defended Smith.
"As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department's commitment to both independence and accountability," the attorney general told the reporters.
Throughout the investigation into the classified documents, Trump publicly ridiculed Smith, who also is leading the investigation into Trump's alleged role in the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. Trump has criticized Smith harshly, calling him a "fully weaponized monster". He has repeatedly called the investigation a "witch hunt" and has written several Truth Social posts claiming that Garland's election of Smith was proof that the DOJ was "corrupt" and "weaponized" against him.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign by email for comment.
Following Trump's indictment, several Republicans—even some of Trump's GOP opponents in the 2024 presidential race—defended the former president, labeling the DOJ's actions as unfair. Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced that he planned to pardon Trump if elected in 2024.
Despite the indictment, Trump remains the favored GOP candidate for the 2024 election and continues to dominate in the polls.
Since the indictment, several Congressional Republicans have acted out against the DOJ in protest, with Vance placing a procedural hold on all DOJ nominees on the Senate floor to slow the process and Greene proposing to cut funding to the DOJ and FBI.
However, Garland appears to remain unfazed by the outcry and remains confident in choosing Smith to investigate Trump.
"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 and the rule of law," Garland told reporters on Wednesday.
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