Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview with CNN that he believes there should be a “speedy trial” in the election subversion case against Donald Trump, while also pushing back on allegations that his department is targeting the former president for political reasons. Garland said he agrees with special counsel Jack Smith’s assertion that the “public interest requires a speedy trial” in the 2020 election currently set for trial in March in Washington, DC. “The matter is now in the hands of the trial judge to determine when a trial will take place,” Garland said during the interview taped Thursday. And it’s is now in the hands of the judicial system, not in our hands,” Garland said. Garland also defended his use of special counsels to lead several investigations into Trump, President Joe Biden, and Biden’s son, Hunter, arguing that regulations keep investigators independent.

Source: CNN January 20, 2024 00:54 UTC