VIDEO: Sen. Ted Cruz Wallops On AG Merrick Garland, Presses Him On Why He Dodged Key Question

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Oct 28, 2021

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from the Lone Star State, repeatedly came after Attorney General Merrick Garland during a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday over allegations that President Joe Biden and his administration have weaponized the Justice Department to go after political opponents.

Cruz, who was fired up and ready for a battle, pressed Garland concerning a memo that he sent out to the FBI after a letter written by the National School Boards Association seemed to suggest that the actions of some parents attending school board meetings could potentially rise up to the level of domestic terrorism.

The Texas senator then took on Garland over whether he sought an ethics opinion over a potential conflict-of-interest concerning his son-in-law.

“For eight years under Barack Obama, the Department of Justice was politicized and weaponized. When you came before this committee in your confirmation hearing, you promised things would be different. I asked you specifically, quote, “Will you commit to this committee that under your leadership, the Department of Justice will not target the political opponents of this administration?” Here was your answer, quote, “absolutely. It’s totally inappropriate for the department to target any individual because of their politics or their position in a campaign.” That was your promise just a few months ago. I’m sorry to say you have broken that promise. There is a difference between law and politics. And General Garland, you know the difference between law and politics. Law is based on facts; it is impartial; it is not used as a tool of political retribution. This memo was not law. This memo was politics. On Wednesday, September 29, the National School Board Association wrote a letter to the president asking the president to use the Department of Justice to target parents that were upset at Critical Race Theory, that were upset at mask mandates in schools, to target them as domestic terrorists. On the face of the letter, the letter was in repeated consultation with the White House, in explicit political consultation with the White House, that was on Wednesday, September 29. Five days later, on Monday, so right after the weekend, boom, you pop out a memo giving them exactly what they want. Now, by the way, I understand that, in politics, that happens all the time. An important special interest wants something, sir, yes, sir. We’re going to listen to him. Let me ask you something, General Garland. In the letter, which you told the House of Representatives was the basis for this abusive memo targeting parents, how many incidents are cited in that memo? ” Cruz said during the exchange.

“I have to look back through the memo,” Garland replied.

Here’s a sample of the transcript from The Daily Wire:

CRUZ: Okay, you don’t know. How many of them were violent?

GARLAND: Again, the general report–

CRUZ: How many of them were violent? Do you know?

GARLAND: I don’t know.

CRUZ: You don’t know. And there’s a reason you don’t know. Because you didn’t care and nobody in your office cared to find out. I did a quick count just sitting here during this hearing. I counted 20 incidents cited. Of the 20, 15 on their face are non-violent. They involve things like insults, they involve a Nazi salute. That’s one of the examples, “My God, a parent did a Nazi salute at a school board because he thought the policies were oppressive.” General Garland, is doing a Nazi salute at an elected official, is that protected by the First Amendment?

GARLAND: Yes, it is.

Check out the rest of the video for the full exchange. It’s well worth the watch.