(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
With four different criminal cases against the former president, and a civil trial starting this week that will severely impact his business interests, there’s a lot of focus on the legal perils of Donald Trump. As a response to this swirling legal morass, the far right has decided to pin these troubles on a conspiracy carried out at the behest of Joe Biden. (It’s not hard to see where the theory originates, as Donald Trump himself is out on social media blaming even the state actions on a “politicized” Department of Justice.)
But Attorney General Merrick Garland is trying counter this erosion of public trust in the DOJ. Last night, he appeared on 60 Minutes touting the independence of special prosecutor in the Trump investigation:
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Scott Pelley: If President Biden asked you to take action with regard to the Trump investigation, what would your reaction be?
Merrick Garland: I am sure that that will not happen, but I would not do anything in that regard. And if necessary, I would resign. But there is no sense that anything like that will happen.
Scott Pelley: Have you ever had to tell him, “Hands off these investigations, Mr. President”?
Merrick Garland: No because he has never tried to put hands on these investigations.
He also noted President Biden has no influence over the DOJ investigation of his son, Hunter Biden.
In these increasingly partisan times, the Attorney General also made a plea against political violence:
People can argue with each other as much as they want and as vociferously as they want. But the one thing they may not do is use violence and threats of violence to alter the outcome. An important aspect of this is the American people themselves. American people must protect each other. They must ensure that they treat each other with civility and kindness, listen to opposing views, argue as vociferously as they want, but refrain from violence and threats of violence. That’s the only way this democracy will survive.
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Which, as the legal cases against Trump continue on, is a particularly salient reminder.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].