Merrick Garland Defends DOJ Staff in Speech Seen as Rebuke of Trump
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On Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland delivered an unprecedented address to Department of Justice (DOJ) staff, publicly defending the department against baseless attacks—widely seen as aimed at former President Donald Trump—without naming him directly. Garland’s remarks come as Trump faces federal charges and continues to accuse the DOJ of corruption and political weaponization.
In his address, Garland commended DOJ employees for their resilience, especially in the face of rising threats. “You have bravely carried on in the face of an unprecedented spike in threats targeting a range of public officials across the country,” Garland said. He emphasized that the DOJ will not be intimidated by such attacks, calling it “dangerous and outrageous” that staff must endure them.
While Garland did not directly mention Trump, his speech comes at a time when Trump has publicly vilified DOJ prosecutors as the legal cases against him progress. The former president faces charges for allegedly violating the Espionage Act by retaining classified documents at his Florida club and for interfering with the 2020 presidential election. Trump has personally attacked special counsel Jack Smith, calling him “deranged” and threatening to “come after” anyone targeting him.
Garland vowed to shield the DOJ from political influence, pointing to reforms that enhance prosecutorial discretion and regulate communications with Congress and the White House. He specifically praised DOJ prosecutors for their “noble and difficult work,” which he argued has not received enough recognition.
“It is dangerous to target and intimidate individual employees of this department solely for doing their jobs,” Garland said. “And it is outrageous that you have to face these unfounded attacks because you are doing what is right.” The timing of Garland’s remarks has drawn attention, especially after Trump recently threatened to imprison those who he claims have obstructed him, including “lawyers, political operatives, donors, illegal voters, and corrupt election officials.”
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer noted that while Garland didn’t name Trump, his criticism of efforts to “bully and intimidate career public servants” appeared to be a clear reference to the former president. “He never mentioned Trump by name… but clearly that was the attack he was launching,” Blitzer observed. Garland’s speech marks a rare and public defense of the DOJ, setting a tone of defiance amid ongoing legal battles and escalating political rhetoric.
