# Merrick Garland for FBI Director **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 15, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624 "2017-05-15T02:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/1 "2017-05-15T02:37:46Z")
A great idea? Nonsense juxtaposition? I like it, but I’m sure there’s lots of issues I’m not seeing. So: resolved that Trump appointing Garland as FBI Director is a net positive for the nation. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/2 "2017-05-15T02:43:10Z")
Does he have FBI’ing experience? I’d like someone with prior FBI’ing experience. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/3 "2017-05-15T02:53:29Z")
Yeah, the FBI Director is primarily an administrator. What administrative experience does he have that puts him above LEOs with administrative experience, like running a large Police Dept or something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/4 "2017-05-15T02:58:16Z")
What prompted his name? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/5 "2017-05-15T03:00:12Z")
No, but he’s a former AUSA with extensive criminal prosecution experience. Bill Webster had no FBI experience before becoming FBI Director (he was also a former AUSA). So too William Sessions. And Robert Mueller. And James Comey! He had no FBI experience either. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/6 "2017-05-15T03:01:19Z")
> [@Tee](#): > > What prompted his name? An IRL discussion with Mrs. Bricker. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/7 "2017-05-15T03:06:10Z")
No. Leaves a significant chief judge vacancy that Trump would then fill with one of his cronies at the US Court of Appeals on the DC Circuit, and everyone understands that this is the only reason Republicans are pushing Garland’s name. And of course, Trump could then fire Garland at the FBI, too. Garland’s too smart to be taken in by this. So are many Dems. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/8 "2017-05-15T03:25:06Z")
Yeah, last post beat me to it. They get Garland to retire from an important position at the appeals court then fire him as FBI director. No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/9 "2017-05-15T03:30:01Z")
And the last two posts beat _me_ to it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/10 "2017-05-15T03:33:08Z")
Would be a smart move, but I think Trump wants an FBI director who will be loyal to Trump. Garland has no reason to be loyal to Trump or the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/11 "2017-05-15T04:11:48Z")
Hmm… A lifetime judicial position on a very important court, or an important legal position he could be fired from at the whim of the president. Hmm. I wonder how that works out. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/12 "2017-05-15T04:20:21Z")
Strategically bad for Democrats, yes, but would he meet the bill as someone who Democrats would trust? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/13 "2017-05-15T04:25:17Z")
Aspenglow wrote: " No. Leaves a significant chief judge vacancy that Trump would then fill with one of his cronies at the US Court of Appeals on the DC Circuit, and everyone understands that this is the only reason Republicans are pushing Garland’s name. And of course, Trump could then fire Garland at the FBI, too. Garland’s too smart to be taken in by this. So are many Dems." They als9o know there’s no chance he’d take it but it gives them a chance to do their ever-popular “reasonable people” impression. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/14 "2017-05-15T04:25:51Z")
Gee, maybe Trump will name Hillary for FBI director. That’s about as likely as Garland. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/15 "2017-05-15T04:31:07Z")
Yeah, the reactions here make me think this is unlikely in the extreme. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/16 "2017-05-15T04:39:23Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > … > They als9o know there’s no chance he’d take it but it gives them a chance to do their ever-popular “reasonable people” impression. Does _anyone_ ever actually fall for that impression? The Democrats see it for what it is; the knowledgeable Republicans are congratulating them for their clever trick, and the base, for the most part, is at best vaguely aware that someone is being nominated for something or other. So who are they doing the impression for? ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/17 "2017-05-15T05:02:30Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Strategically bad for Democrats, yes, but would he meet the bill as someone who Democrats would trust? Oh, I’m sure he would. It’s just a shame that it’s an obviously and blatantly partisan gambit that would hand a lifetime seat on a high court over to the republican party in order to grant him a position that the president can and has dismissed on partisan grounds. There is nobody the democrats would trust who Trump wouldn’t just freely _fire_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/18 "2017-05-15T05:34:01Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Strategically bad for Democrats, yes, but would he meet the bill as someone who Democrats would trust? Why should they? He was a Republican pick. Who they then sacrificed to make an attack on Obama. The last thing the Republicans are going to want to do after stabbing Garland in the back is give him a position of power. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/19 "2017-05-15T06:19:01Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Does _anyone_ ever actually fall for that impression? 60 million voted for Trump, why wouldn’t some? ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624/20 "2017-05-15T08:45:44Z")
I’m guessing that Donald Trump will pick somebody who has never investigated anything in their life. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrick-garland-for-fbi-director/786624.md?page=2)