Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he recommended to President Donald Trump that Merrick Garland be the next head of the FBI.
“Actually, I have spoken with the President about it. I recommended Merrick Garland,” the Kentucky Republican said at a Bloomberg event.
He added, “that may surprise people but he has a deep background in criminal law. He was the prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing case. And I think it would make it clear that President Trump will continue the tradition at the FBI of having an apolitical professional.”
Garland is currently serving in a lifetime appointment as chief judge of the DC Circuit Court, so many observers consider the choice to be a longshot because it would leave a vacancy for such a high profile position. Garland was apparently not among the eight FBI candidates spotted over the weekend meeting with White House officials interviewing for the job.
McConnell lead the charge last year to prevent Garland, who was President Barack Obama’s pick to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant after the death of Antonin Scalia, from being confirmed in the Senate to the high court. That spot was eventually filled by Neil Gorsuch earlier this year.
Since Trump fired Comey last week, some high-profile lawmakers from both parties have suggested Garland fill the role.