Merrick Garland defends Justice Department after Trump and GOP lawmakers attacked the FBI for raiding Mar-a-Lago: They 'are patriotic public servants'
- Merrick Garland defended the DOJ and FBI amid a torrent of criticism following the Mar-a-Lago raid.
- Garland's comments come as Trump and GOP lawmakers torch the FBI.
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday defended the Justice Department and the FBI after a torrent of criticism following the decision to raid former President Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago.
"I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked," Garland told reporters at the Justice Department. "The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants."
Garland's words come as Trump, his allies, and scores of Republican lawmakers tear into the FBI for their decision to stage an unprecedented raid on the property of a former president. Trump confirmed the court-ordered search as it was unfolding and compared the operation to what occurs in "a third-world country."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other far-right lawmakers have also called for the FBI to be defunded. Others on the right compared federal agents to the Gestapo, the Nazi's secret police.
During his surprise news conference, Garland revealed that he personally signed off on the decision to obtain an unprecedented search warrant of a former president's home. He also added that the Justice Department is taking formal steps in court to unseal the search warrant and the list of items seized by law enforcement.
Trump and his attorneys could have publicly released the warrant, but so far have declined to do it.