AG Garland gets emotional over democracy during '60 Minutes' interview
Attorney General Merrick Garland got emotional while discussing democracy and the importance of the January 6 prosecutions during an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday.
Attorney General Merrick Garland got emotional during an interview with "60 Minutes" over democracy and the prosecutions against January 6 protesters.
At the end of the interview, CBS' Scott Pelley asked Garland what was the "best" he could hope for when the "history of this extraordinary time" is written.
"Look, I think it’s the best any public servant can hope for, that we’ve done our best, that we pass on a Justice Department that continues to pursue the rule of law and protect it. It’s the same thing that every generation has to hope, that we can pass our democracy on in working order to the next generation that picks up the torch and is responsible when we’re finished to continue that job," Garland said, appearing slightly choked up.
AG Merrick Garland sat down with "60 Minutes" for an interview that aired on Sunday. (Screenshot/CBS)
"Because this is a fundamental aspect of our democracy. If we can’t ensure that this kind of behavior doesn’t recur, it will occur. The prosecutions we bring are deterrents against that from happening," he said.
Garland also told CBS that his job was to "take the arrows" for the Justice Department because he will be "vilified" for how the cases against Donald Trump and Hunter Biden play out.
Pelley asked earlier in the interview why the January 6 prosecutions mean so much to him after Garland said there were still people the Justice Department hasn't found yet.
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on September 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The committee is holding an oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Justice. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Pelley asked Garland about criticisms over the Hunter Biden investigation and whether he was "taking it easy" on the president's son.
"Well, look. This investigation began under David Weiss. David Weiss is a longstanding career prosecutor, and he was appointed by Mr. Trump as the United States attorney for the district of Delaware. I promised at my nomination hearing that I would continue him on in that position and that I would not interfere with his investigation," he said.
Pelley followed up and asked if he was involved in making any of those decisions.
Garland said Weiss was making the decisions.
"The White House is not attempting to influence those decisions?" Pelley asked.
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, arrives in J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building to appear in court in Delaware on July 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"Absolutely not," Garland responded. The Attorney General also insisted that he has a good working relationship with President Biden despite the investigation into Hunter.
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