President Biden said Friday that he hasn’t been in communication with Attorney General Merrick Garland since the Justice Department indicted former President Trump.
Speaking with reporters in North Carolina where he gave a speech on the economy, Mr. Biden said he’s staying out of it.
“I have not spoken to him at all, and I’m not going to speak with him. And I have no comment on that,” he said when asked if he’s spoken to Mr. Garland.
The White House has repeatedly declined to comment on Mr. Trump’s indictment but has defended the integrity of the Justice Department amid criticism from Mr. Trump’s supporters that it has been politically weaponized.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton dodged multiple questions about the indictment when talking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to North Carolina.
“We’re just not going to comment on this case and would refer you to the DOJ which runs its criminal investigations independently,” she said.
Ms. Dalton said Mr. Biden and senior staff found out about the indictment last night from press reports.
“There was no advanced knowledge that this was coming. We found out from news reports just like everybody else across America,” she said.
Mr. Trump was charged with 37 criminal counts, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information. He is also charged with one count each of conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, and false statements.
A Trump associate, Walt Nauta, was also charged in the indictment.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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