The president believes the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents went beyond his remit. And part of the blame is being placed on the AG.
Joe Biden has told aides and outside advisers that Attorney General Merrick Garland did not do enough to rein in a special counsel report stating that the president had diminished mental faculties, according to two people close to the president, as White House frustration with the head of the Justice Department grows.
The report from special counsel Robert Hur ultimately cleared Biden of any charges stemming from his handling of classified documents that were found at Biden’s think tank and his home. But Hur’s explanation for not bringing charges — that Biden would have persuaded the jury that he was a forgetful old man — upended the presidential campaign and infuriated the White House.
Biden and his closest advisers believe Hur went well beyond his purview and was gratuitous and misleading in his descriptions, according to those two people, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. And they put part of the blame on Garland, who they say should have demanded edits to Hur’s report, including around the descriptions of Biden’s faltering memory.
It’s not so simple, unfortunately. I mean, what exactly is “his comfortability with fascism”? What are you referring to?
In law school in the 2000s, the Federalist Society had student arms and out of curiosity I attended some meetings. It was clearly not for me, but it was not the group it is today. It wasn’t good, but it was within the normal civil-debate range of “ok, as a polite apolitical gesture, I will attend or participate upon request.” And I see no evidence Garland did anything but that, at a time before before this fascist strain became the dominant one it is in the GOP today. It would certainly mean something different if he participated in 2018 or 2024.
So all I’m saying is: if there is some specific affirmative thing Garland has done that makes him a fascist or secret Republican conspirator, or whatever, great, let’s see it. I have no skin in this game, I just think if people hear things too often without them being tested then they start to believe them, even if there’s no evidence. So, let’s test it.