In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt on Tuesday, Garland was prompted on whether Trump could be prosecuted over the events that happened at the Capitol in 2021, a move he said imperiled to "tear the country apart."
"Look, we pursue justice without fear or favor. We intend to hold everyone, anyone who was criminally responsible for the events surrounding Jan. 6, for any attempt to interfere with the lawful transfer of power from one administration to another, accountable," Garland said.
The attorney general has previously been accused by Democrats of dragging his feet regarding a potential prosecution of Trump, especially after a leaked memo, signed by him, seemed to discourage investigating political candidates during an election year.
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Trump has all but verified he will be running for president in 2024 and has repeatedly bashed the investigation into Jan. 6 as a political show trial.
Former President Donald Trump’s third bid for the White House seems to be a matter of when, not if, according to multiple recent reports.
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Politico recently reported that Trump has been weighing the timing of his announcement with “some of his wealthiest and highest-profile supporters” at recent dinners. The Washington Post recently reported that some of Trump’s closest advisers have been pushing him to abide by historic norms of announcing a presidential bid after the midterm election cycle to avoid blame if Republicans underperform, while others have been pushing for an earlier bid to scare off rivals amid signs of weakening support among Republican voters. Trump is reportedly pushing for an earlier reveal, making him a bigger factor in the midterm elections.
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He recently told New York magazine, “Well, in my own mind, I’ve already made that decision, so nothing factors in anymore. In my own mind, I’ve already made that decision.”
Without explicitly stating his intention to run, Trump implied it was a matter of before or after November’s midterm elections.
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“I would say my big decision will be whether I go before or after,” he said. “You understand what that means?”
Trump argued, “I just think that there are certain assets to before.” “Let people know,” he said. “I think a lot of people would not even run if I did that because, if you look at the polls, they don’t even register. Most of these people. And I think that you would actually have a backlash against them if they ran. People want me to run.”
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