Garland: ‘Public Interest Requires a Speedy Trial’ in the Trump Election Subversion Case

PEREZ: “You know, one of the trials of the former president, Donald Trump, is scheduled for March. You know, some of the polling recently shows that three quarters of Republicans believe that he’s being targeted for political reasons. Does it concern you that this public perception exists, and what can you do to try to change that?”
Garland: “Of course it concerns me. What we have to do is show by the acts that we take that we’re following the law, we’re following the facts. The prosecutions that you’re talking about were brought last year, and the special prosecutor has said from the beginning that he thinks public interest requires a speedy trial, which I agree with.”
PEREZ: “You do?”
Garland: “I do. And the matter is now in the hands of the trial judge to determine when the trials will take place.”
PEREZ: “The Department has policies about steering clear of elections. Is there a date in your mind where it might be too late to bring these trials to fruition? Again, to stay out of the way of the elections, as the department policies declare?”
Garland: “I’ll just say what I said, which is that the cases were brought last year. Prosecutor has urged speedy trials, with which I agree. And it’s now in the hands of the judicial system, not in our hands.”
PEREZ: “Do you — looking back now, do you think that the Department took too long to bring these cases, maybe?”
Garland: “Special prosecutors follow the facts and the law, they brought cases when they thought they were ready.”