Merrick Garland on Democracy

Merrick Garland asserts that the preservation of American democracy requires vigorous public service and a commitment to the rule of law, both domestically and internationally. He explicitly identified multiple domestic threats, including efforts to undermine the right to vote, violence and threats directed at public servants, and the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, which interfered with the peaceful transfer of power. He stressed that a democracy cannot survive when citizens forsake the rule of law for violence or threats of violence, framing the Justice Department’s mission as a continuation of its founding purpose to defend constitutional rights.

He contextualized this defense by drawing parallels between the department’s early fight against white supremacists and its current efforts to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the Capitol assault. The Attorney General emphasized that protecting the cornerstone of democracy—the right to vote—remains an urgent priority, particularly following Supreme Court decisions that weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His position calls for all citizens to engage in service to help overcome polarization and ensure that the magnitude of threats to democratic institutions is not understated.