Democrats have expressed frustration with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for what they perceive as a delayed response in launching an investigation into former President Donald Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Garland's decision to appoint Special Counsel Jack Smith in 2022 to lead the investigation came under scrutiny, with some Democrats arguing that the Jan. 6 committee findings should have prompted swifter action.
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler criticized Garland, stating that the evidence available to the Jan. 6 committee should have been sufficient to initiate prosecutions earlier. Nadler suggested that had the Department of Justice (DOJ) acted promptly, Trump might have faced consequences and the outcome of the 2020 election could have been different.
