Garland fumes in exchange over religious discrimination: 'So outrageous, so absurd'

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday grew visibly upset when questioned about potential religious discrimination in the Justice Department, saying it’s “outrageous” to suggest he would support discriminatory policies, given his family history fleeing religious persecution.

In a line of questioning during Garland’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) pressed Garland about a now-withdrawn FBI memo that warned of “radical traditionalist Catholic ideology.” 

Garland pointed out that both he and the FBI director have said publicly multiple times that they were “appalled” by the memo and were not involved in its drafting. 

“The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous, so absurd,” Garland told Van Drew during his questioning.

Garland pointed to his earlier testimony about his family history fleeing antisemitism and religious persecution in the years leading up to the Holocaust. In his opening remarks on Wednesday, Garland was choked up when talking about the Holocaust and his family members who did not manage to make it out before they were killed.

“My family fled religious persecution in Eastern Europe at the start of the 20th century. My grandmother, who was one of five children, born in what is now Belarus, made it to the United States, as did two of her siblings. The other two did not. Those two were killed in the Holocaust. And there is little doubt that, but for America, the same thing would have happened to my grandmother,” he said, appearing to fight back tears. “But this country took her in. And under the protection of our laws, she was able to live without fear of persecution.”

Garland continued, repeating a sentiment he’s expressed at various other points since his appointment. 

“That protection is what distinguishes this country from so many others. The protection of law — the rule of law — is the foundation of our system of government. Repaying this country for the debt my family owes for our very lives has been the focus of my entire professional career,” he said.