I'm not sure how you can hold that position; the AG is the arm of the president. If the AG says "I won't do it", then that is, by extension, the president saying the same.
And I don't think Garland's longer, winding way of saying what he said doesn't reduce to "I won't do it".
And I don't think Garland's longer, winding way of saying what he said doesn't reduce to "I won't do it".