Sen. Ruben Gallego on Wednesday called former Attorney General Merrick Garland a “coward” over his handling of prosecuting Jan. 6 insurrectionists.
Speaking at an event with Economic Liberties, the Arizona Democrat said it “took way too damn long” to hold anyone accountable for the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
“We didn’t move fast enough in holding Jan. 6 Republicans, the president, everyone up and down the organizations that were helping out, accountable,” Gallego said, adding that he “100 percent” blames Garland for not being more aggressive.
Despite more than 1,500 people being charged with crimes for their participation in the deadly attack on the Capitol, some Democrats were displeased with Garland’s prosecution tactics.
Though Trump was eventually indicted on federal charges, some Democrats accused Garland of waiting too long to launch an investigation into Trump. Garland announced the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith in 2022, citing Trump’s reelection bid as part of his decision to begin the investigation.
“I think he was a coward, and if I could ever take down his photo from the U.S. Attorney’s office, I would gladly do it,” Gallego said of Garland. “He was willing to sacrifice our democracy for the institution of the DOJ. There is no DOJ without democracy.”
The remarks from Gallego echo his previous criticism of Garland for his handling of Jan. 6 prosecutions, including when he was still in office.
“I’m just not seeing the urgency from the attorney general,” Gallego told CNN in 2022. “He’s thinking more about protecting the institution of the Department of Justice. And I appreciate that, but he has to be thinking about protecting the institution of democracy.”