Washington DC - Attorney General Merrick Garland recently broke his silence after the judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents trial ruled to throw out the case.

On Tuesday, Garland sat down for an interview with NBC News, where he was asked for his thoughts on Judge Aileen Cannon dismissing the trial on the grounds that special counsel Jack Smith, the head prosecutor chosen by the Justice Department to lead the case, was unlawfully appointed.

"Look, as you well know, I picked this room for this interview," Garland said. "This is my favorite room in the Justice Department. It's a law library.

"For more than 20 years, I was a federal judge," he continued. "Do I look like somebody who would make that basic mistake about the law? I don't think so."

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Garland explained that he chose Smith using the same process employed for past special counsels and noted that "'Til now, every single court, including the Supreme Court, that has considered the legality of special counsel appointment has upheld it."

He went on to say that the Justice Department still believes the appointment was "constitutional and valid," which is why they are attempting to appeal Cannon's decision.

Trump was facing charges for taking dozens of highly classified documents with him after leaving the White House in 2020 and attempting to obstruct efforts by authorities to try and retrieve them.

Throughout the trial, Judge Cannon, who was appointed to her role as a federal judge by Trump in 2021, has faced criticism over her rulings, which consistently appeared to lean in Trump's favor.

The dismissal came right after the Supreme Court issued an opinion earlier this month that former presidents enjoy broad immunity from criminal prosecution for their official acts.

Garland also warned about a rise in political violence going into the elections and suggested that "democracy won't survive" if Trump, or whoever does not win the race, continues to deny the outcome.