Garland says Justice Department cases are not political and urges 'speedy trial'

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Thursday defended the Justice Department against allegations that the federal cases against Donald J. Trump brought by a special prosecutor, Jack Smith, were politically motivated.

In an interview with CNN, he said he was concerned about the perception among Republicans that Trump was targeted for political reasons. “What we have to do is show by the actions we take that we follow the law, that we follow the facts,” Mr. Garland said.

He also said he agreed that “the public interest requires a speedy trial” in the case that accused Mr. Trump of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Mr Smith has claimed.

Mr. Trump's lawyers have pushed for a delay, arguing that prosecutors are rushing to go to trial before the 2024 election to keep Mr. Trump in court and off the campaign trail. Earlier this week, however, Trump chose to appear in a New York courtroom on a different matter, an unrelated civil suit. His campaign has tried to score political points on his legal troubles.

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, quickly seized on Mr. Garland's comments, posting on social media: “ELECTION INTERFERENCE!”