Merrick Garland Asks for Patience With 1/6 Investigation as Pundits Express Frustration

Attorney General Merrick Garland urged patience in his Wednesday speech regarding the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations into those responsible for the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, but frustration from many continues to swell.

Garland faces criticism from social media pundits for the DOJ's perceived slowness and inaction, especially leading into the 2022 midterm elections. If Republicans win back control of Congress, they're expected to further block and discredit the investigations and charges as a partisan "witch hunt."

"I understand that there is broad public interest in our investigation," Garland said in his Wednesday speech. "We understand that there are questions about how long the investigation will take, and about what exactly we are doing."

"Our answer is and will continue to be the same answer we would give to with respect to any ongoing investigation as long as it takes and whatever it takes for justice to be done, consistent with the facts and the law," he continued.

"I understand that this may not be the answer some are looking for," he added, "but we will and we must speak through our work. Anything else jeopardizes the viability of our investigations and the civil liberties of our citizens."

Garland mentioned that since the insurrection, the DOJ's 56 field offices and nearly all 94 U.S. Attorney's offices—including about 140 prosecutors from the Capitol, Attorney's offices and DOJ divisions—have issued "over 5,000 subpoenas and search warrants, seized approximately 2,000 devices, pored through over 20,000 hours of video footage and searched through an estimated 15 terabytes of data," as well as followed up on over 300,000 tips from citizens.

However, numerous Twitter commenters worry that the DOJ's arrests and public disclosure of information aren't happening quickly enough.

"I think Merrick Garland has been extremely weak, and I think there should be a lot more of the organizers of January 6 that should be arrested by now," Democratic Arizona Representative Ruben Gallego told CNN on Wednesday morning.

Writer Kaili Joy Gray posted, "So far, Merrick Garland hasn't said a word about who carried out — and provoked — the Jan. 6 insurrection. I understand not wanting to politicize the DOJ, but this is a ridiculous whitewashing of history."

"The clock is ticking," she continued. "The GOP is rewriting history. It's hard to see how full accountability will happen before it's too late."

TV and movie Michael Green wrote, "There is a calming, methodical sobriety to men like Merrick Garland and Robert Mueller that will get us all killed."

Conservative commentator Tim Young wrote, "Soooo ... someone tried to blow up the DNC and RNC with pipe bombs a year ago and Merrick Garland has no update on it ... got it."

Young's comment referred to the absence of an arrest in connection with two pipe bombs placed on Jan. 5, 2021, at the headquarters of both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee.

Elie Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor, wrote, "If you want to know what Merrick Garland will say later, here it is (below). 'law and facts, no fear or favor, nobody above the law' is good, and important to say. But without meaningful action, it's just rote boilerplate used by every AG to justify every action (or inaction)."

Action novelist Don Winslow wrote, "Dear Merrick Garland, Setting everything else aside, please explain to the American people why the Justice Dept has not prosecuted Donald Trump for his Jan 2nd call to Georgia Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger which violated Fed law? It's on TAPE There's a COOPERATING WITNESS."

Winslow's comment referred to the January 2, 2021, audio recording of then-President Trump pressuring Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes to help him beat then-President-elect Joe Biden in the state of Georgia.

Journalism professor Jason Johnson wrote in a series of tweets, "It takes a special kind of boldness to give a presser reminding everyone of everything you actually HAVEN'T done over the last year. Abortion in TX - We're working on it, Voting rights - Waiting on Congress, Jan6th - Just charged another shaman #MerrickGarland."

In another tweet, Johnson wrote, "James Comey flipped the 2016 election by delivering a highly inappropriate press conference to say he was looking into Clinton's emails. Garland is discussing the prosecution of terrorists with less urgency and that's not encouraging #Garland #MerrickGarland."