While much has been written about whether Garland is the forceful attorney general the Justice Department needs in the wake of the Trump administration, Garland is beginning to establish that on at least one front — the way the attorney general interacts with the Supreme Court — he is growing more comfortable in his role without the robe.
It’s still not clear how far Garland will go — or how he would respond to a ruling from the justices that limits the use of even Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. But Friday gave us the strongest sign yet that, free from his judicial constraints, Merrick Garland is preparing to do what he believes is needed to protect voting rights across the country in the years ahead.