Given the upcoming US presidential Election, US Attorney General Merrick Garland believes that action against Donald Trump should be swift. In doing so, he stood behind Special Investigator Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation against the former US president in two major criminal cases under federal law. “The special counsel has said from the beginning that he believes an expedited trial is necessary in the public interest,” Garland told CNN in an interview published Friday. “I agree.”

Trump faces a total of four criminal charges in court during the election year. Two of them are at the federal level: an indictment in Washington in connection with the attack on the US Capitol and an indictment in the state of Florida, in which Trump is accused of illegally storing classified information from his presidency.

The trial in Washington is scheduled to begin in March, but it is unclear whether the date can be met. Trump is trying to delay the proceedings against him in every possible way – after the ideal 2024 presidential election, if he wins, he could ask his attorney general to stop the federal investigation against him. The 77-year-old Republican is leading in internal party polls. So far everything points to a new version of the election campaign between Trump and incumbent Joe Biden.

SDA