Washington DC - Attorney General Merrick Garland has finally made his first public remarks regarding the historic indictment of Donald Trump.

Garland addressed the case on Wednesday while answering questions during an event on combating violent crime, according to ABC News.

The attorney general was asked specifically about claims from Trump and other Republicans that the Department of Justice is being "weaponized" by Garland and special counsel Jack Smith to keep Trump from winning the 2024 election.

"As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department's commitment to both independence and accountability," Garland explained.

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He went on to defend Smith, who Trump has described as a "thug" and accused of "doing political hit jobs."

"Mr. Smith is a veteran career prosecutor," Garland continued. "He has assembled a group of experienced and talented prosecutors and agents who share his commitment to integrity."

Garland refused to speak on specifics about the case, but insisted that his role in the investigation was "completely consistent" with DOJ regulations.

The comments came shortly after Trump was arraigned in Miami earlier this week, where the former president was hit with 37 federal charges alleging he criminally kept classified documents after leaving office and conspired to obstruct the probe.

Trump continues to argue that he did nothing wrong, claiming he was allowed to take anything he wanted as per the Presidential Records Act.