Trump thought that he could avoid prosecution by declaring himself a candidate for president, but Attorney General Merrick Garland put an end to that.
Video:
AG Merrick Garland, “There is nothing in the Constitution or any other factors which prevent us from investigating anyone, anyone who’s criminally responsible for an attempt to undo a democratic election.” pic.twitter.com/SQOZ0VqTrS
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) July 20, 2022
Garland was asked about investigating a former president, and he answered, “No person is above the law in this country, nothing stops us. I don’t know how to — I’ll say that again. No person is above the law in this country. I can’t say it any more clearly than that. There is nothing in the Constitution, in any other factors which prevent us from investigating anyone, anyone who’s criminally responsible for an attempt to undo a democratic election.”
Trump had been rushing to declare his 2024 candidacy because he thought that the Barr memo would stop the Department of Justice from investigating and prosecuting him for crimes related to the 1/6 attack.
It turns out that Donald Trump was very wrong.
Attorney General Garland and Justice Department know what Donald Trump is attempting to do. The Barr memo doesn’t stop the DOJ from prosecuting candidates. It states that any such prosecutions have to be signed off on by the Attorney General.
Judging by Garland’s comments, he seems willing to sign off on an investigation or prosecution of Donald Trump, which means that the Attorney General just took away Donald Trump’s get out of jail free card.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association