Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland is not qualified for the role if he has some “crazy litmus test that doesn’t even meet some legal standard as the AG of the United States that if you do acts of domestic terror at night that’s OK, but if you do acts of terror during the day then you’re a domestic terrorist because you’re a Trump supporter,” Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said Tuesday on Newsmax TV's "Greg Kelly Reports."
Steube was referring to Garland’s comments on domestic terrorism and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Garland was asked by Republican senators on Monday about protests in Portland and if “assaults on federal property” constituted domestic terrorism.
“Let me ask you about assaults on federal property in places other than Washington, D.C. Portland, for instance,” Missouri Senator Josh Hawley said. “Do you regard assaults on federal courthouses or other federal properties as acts of domestic extremism, domestic terrorism?”
Garland said his personal view on the matter lined up with the statutory definition of terrorism.
“My own definition, which is about the same as the statutory definition, is the use of violence or threats of violence in an attempt to disrupt democratic processes,” Garland replied. “So an attack on a courthouse while in operation, trying to prevent judges from actually deciding cases, that plainly is domestic extremism, domestic terrorism.”
Garland drew a distinction between an attack on a government property at night and the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“Both are criminal, but one is a core attack on our democratic institutions,” Garland added.
Steube said it’s absolutely “absurd to draw some line.”
“And that’s the type of things you’re going to see at the hearing tomorrow – you’re going to see the Democrats focus in on Trump supporters and the riots on Jan. 6 and not say a word about the antifa rioting we’ve had all summer long," told Newsmax host Chris Salcedo.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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