AG Garland announces special counsel to investigate Trump
Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints a special counsel for Trump-related Mara-a-Lago and January 6 investigations.
Twitter users on both sides of the political aisle were riled up over Friday's announcement by Attorney General Merrick Garland that he was appointing a special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump.
Garland appointed John L. Smith to oversee investigations into Trump's role in the January 6 Capitol riot and the mishandling of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
The Attorney General cited President Trump's recent 2024 presidential bid as the reason for appointing a special counsel.
"Based on recent developments, including the former president announcement that he is a candidate for president in the next election and the sitting president’s stated intention to be a candidate as well, I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint a special counsel. Such an appointment underscores the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters," the New York Times reported.
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The news prompted an outcry from Trump supporters as well as liberal media pundits.
Former Senior legal adviser to the Trump 2020 campaign, Jenna Ellis, expressed frustration at the news.
"This whole special counsel line is just so tired. Why? Only to pretend there is still some possibility to 'get Trump,'" she tweeted.
Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton wondered why a similar move wasn't being made to investigate the Biden family's overseas business dealings, calling it an "unequal application of the law."
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before Congress. (Greg Nash/Pool Photo via AP)
The Federalist's Mollie Hemingway agreed this decision was politically motivated and an effort to hide corruption within the Department of Justice.
"Special counsels are for when there is a conflict of interest in the DOJ. That means that there SHOULD BE one for BIDEN investigations, and not one for Trump. This is just their latest effort to protect the massive corruption at DOJ/FBI," she wrote.
Some critics of the former president were angry about the decision as well, saying it would slow down the process to indict Trump.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller failed to corroborate allegations in the Steele dossier which prompted the years-long Russia investigation.
The Lincoln Project felt the announcement was too little, too late.
"The announcement of a special counsel to investigate Trump in light of the abundance of clear and convincing evidence of his crimes unfortunately delays accountability. However, justice will come eventually & he will not be able to evade the consequences of his actions forever," the organization tweeted.
Elie Mystal, Justice Correspondent at The Nation and a frequent MSNBC guest, called Garland a "punk" and questioned why he didn't start the investigation into Trump years ago.
"His line about the fact that Trump is now running for President is utter, complete BULLCRAP. If Garland was worried about that, he should have appointed a special counsel back in MARCH OF 2020! There isn't one GODDAMN POLITICAL REALITY NOW that he didn't know would happen THEN!" he tweeted.
MSNBC legal analyst Jill Wine-Banks called it a "waste of time and money."
"Expletives deleted. Garland has named a Special Counsel to investigate Trump #MAL and parts of Jan6. I think it's a waste of time and money, insults the prosecutors at DOJ and gains nothing. No Trump supporter will see anyone as independent or fair to Trump," she complained.
Local law enforcement officers are seen in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Aug. 9, 2022. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Some on the left, however, felt the news was a sign Garland was ready to indict Trump.
MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance tweeted, "The key here, once Garland decides to appoint a special counsel, will be picking someone who will be able to hit the ground running and move the investigation forward without delay."
MSNBC host Katie Phang agreed, writing, "My hot take: No need for Garland to appoint a special counsel unless you're going to indict."
The former president's first two years in office were plagued by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election.
AG Garland was already on the radar for GOP-led investigations and calls for impeachment, after he faced scrutiny that the FBI raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago home was an "abuse of power."
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