why does president trump want bill barr as attorney general

Why did Attorney General William Barr break with Trump?

Feb 15, 2022 · The role of the Attorney General: The NSW Attorney General works as the State’s legal advisor. The Attorney General represents the state in …

Who is Attorney General William Barr?

If there is no obvious answer to why Barr would take the attorney-general job, there’s also no clear explanation for why he thinks he’ll be able to resist the gravitational pull of Donald Trump...

What if Barr had been in the Senate during Trump's impeachment?

Feb 15, 2020 · Barr was once seen as a potential check on Trump’s overt desire to take command of the justice department, deploying its investigators and prosecutors at his whim and his will.

Was Bill Barr part of a ‘deep state coup’ against Trump?

Feb 20, 2020 · In a cri de coeur for the ages, Attorney General William Barr said in an interview last week that President Trump’s tweets “make it impossible for me to do my job.”. Days later in …

Who is William Barr attorney general?

Who is William Barr wife?

How old is William Barr?

What's the name of Trump's attorney?

Does bill Barr have any children?

Is Attorney General bill Barr married?

Who was Attorney General under George W Bush?

Does the president have a lawyer?

Who is the White House legal counsel?

What does the attorney general do?

When was Barr nominated for Attorney General?

Barr’s long career in public life led some justice department veterans to welcome his nomination as attorney general in late 2018, given concerns about who else Trump might pick.

Who is William Barr?

William Barr, 69 and a veteran of 40 years in Washington, was confirmed one year ago as attorney general, a position with broad influence over the administration of justice and broad sway over public faith placed in it.

What was the reaction to Barr's interview?

The interview was met with outrage and eye-rolls among critics who saw a wide divergence between what Barr said and everything else he has been doing.

Why did Barr travel to London?

In July, Barr traveled to London to ask intelligence officials there for help with the investigation. He made a similar trip to Italy in September. Recently, Barr announced the creation of an “intake process” for information gathered by Rudy Giuliani about investigations tied to Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

What happened to Barr and Stone?

Those developments included Barr’s intervention in a case involving Trump’s friend Roger Stone, prompting the withdrawal of four career prosecutors; the resignation from government of a prominent former US attorney previously sidelined by Barr; and the issuance of a rare public warning by a federal judge about the independence of the courts.

Why is Barr afraid of vice?

The fear is that Barr’s competence has flipped from virtue to vice owing to a quality that he appears to lack or have lost: judgment in the face of an untethered president.

What was Barr's intervention in the Roger Stone case?

Barr’s intervention in the Roger Stone case was described as a ‘break-the-glass’ moment by one former US attorney. Photograph: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

What did Barr do to boost Trump?

Most notably, he ordered the top federal prosecutor in Pittsburgh to investigate the conspiracy theories about Joe and Hunter Biden brought to the FBI by Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor turned Trump personal attorney. While in marked contrast to the disastrous decision by then-FBI Director James Comey (who was fired by Trump in 2017) to ignore departmental norms and inform Congress about the briefly reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server in 2016, Barr did not make these investigations public during the campaign. But giving a personal Trump employee special access to the FBI is a highly corrupt act, and “handled FBI investigations of a presidential candidate better than James Comey” is the lowest bar imaginable.

Who is the attorney general who resigned?

Attorney General William Barr announced his resignation on Monday, effective next week, shortly after the Electoral College formally confirmed that Joe Biden would be the next president.

What is Barr's original sin?

Barr's resignation letter, in fact, reminds us of his original sin: covering up the Trump campaign’s cooperation (if not collusion) with Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, which Barr referred to as “the effort to cripple, if not oust your administration with frenzied and baseless accusations” in his letter.

How many people will be executed by Trump?

Barring any highly unlikely last-minute judicial interventions in the next five weeks, 15 people will have been executed by the Trump administration by the time he leaves office, which will be five times the three executions that had been carried out by the federal government in the past 50 years.

Did Barr make the Clinton emails public?

While in marked contrast to the disastrous decision by then-FBI Director James Comey (who was fired by Trump in 2017) to ignore departmental norms and inform Congress about the briefly reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server in 2016, Barr did not make these investigations public during the campaign.

Did Brandon Bernard get executed?

And what’s worse, both of the most recent executions are legally shaky. As observed in the dissenting opinions of the indefatigable Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Brandon Bernard was executed despite the fact that the prosecution made patently false claims about his involvement in a gang, and those claims were critical to his capital sentence for a murder that he did not personally commit. In the other case, Alfred Bourgeois was executed although he had a strong claim for being mentally handicapped, which would make his execution illegal both under federal statute and controlling Supreme Court precedent. But Barr was determined to make sure all of these prisoners died on his watch.

Did Barr order executions?

And it’s also worth noting that Barr has ordered and will oversee an unprecedented number of executions on his way out the door — deaths the president has reportedly told confidants that he is “excited” about and hopes to have as many of as possible.

Why is Barr called the protector of Trump?

During the five-hour session on Capitol Hill in Washington this week, Barr made clear why he has been dubbed Donald Trump’s faithful protector and personal henchman. He defended using federal forces in US cities, denied giving Trump’s allies favorable treatment and demurred on issues such as foreign election interference or whether November’s poll can be postponed.

Who is the prosecutor that Barr stepped down?

Barr testifies before the House judiciary committee earlier this week. Photograph: Matt McClain/AP. In addition, Barr claimed that Geoffrey Berman, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, New York, had agreed to “step down”, only for Berman to explicitly deny this.

How long has Barr been in office?

During his 18 months in office, Barr, 70, has backed Trump even as he defies norms, stokes division and is buffeted by the coronavirus pandemic, economic slump and tumbling poll numbers. Democrats have demanded his impeachment, accused him of politicizing the justice department and enabling an “imperial presidency” like no other.

What did the Attorney General say about the protests in Portland?

The attorney general defended the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in Portland and other cities. “What unfolds nightly around the courthouse cannot reasonably be called a protest,” he said. “It is, by any objective measure, an assault on the government of the United States.”.

Is it appropriate for Barr to accept foreign assistance?

The Capitol Hill hearing raised further concerns about the fast-approaching election. Asked whether it would be appropriate for the president to accept foreign help, Barr parried that it “depends what kind of assistance”. Only when pressed did he clarify: “No, it’s not appropriate.”

Did Trump commute Roger Stone's sentence?

The Flynn dismissal will be reviewed by a federal appeals court but Trump commuted Stone’s sentence altogether.

Who has backed Donald Trump?

William Barr, 70, has backed Donald Trump even as he defies norms, stokes division and is buffeted by the coronavirus, economic slump and tumbling poll numbers. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters

Who did Barr blame for the mob?

On Jan. 7, Barr shared his statement to the Associated Press, according to the New York Post, where he directly blamed President Donald Trump for the violent mob. "Orchestrating a mob to pressure Congress is inexcusable," read the statement.

When did Barr resign?

For those who haven't been paying attention, Barr resigned from his position as Attorney General on Dec. 23, 2020. Trump actually announced his resignation on — you guessed it — Twitter . "Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House," he wrote, along with Barr's official resignation letter.

Did Barr and Trump talk about each other?

Bill Barr and Donald Trump actually spoke highly of each other before the riots. If former Attorney General Bill Barr and President Donald Trump's relationship seems to be a confusing one, that's because it is. Prior to Barr slamming Trump on Twitter over the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, the two often said good things about one another.

Who called Donald Trump's behavior inexcusable?

Bill Barr called Donald Trump's behavior 'inexcusable'. Many politicians and officials offered their opinions and official statements regarding the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and former Attorney General William Barr is no exception. On Jan. 7, Barr shared his statement to the Associated Press, according to the New York Post, ...

Did Barr do an outstanding job?

As noted above, Trump himself stated that Barr had done an "outstanding job!". as attorney general. He also once called Barr "fair and reasonable" in a 2019 tweet , congratulating Barr for "taking charge" of the February 2020 Mueller investigation.

Why did Barr make an argument?

Barr then proceeded to make an argument that turned a central premise of the post-Watergate American legal order on its head. After Watergate—and, particularly, Richard Nixon’s request to have the I.R.S. prosecute two hundred of his political enemies for tax fraud—there had been a drive in the Justice Department to prevent elected officials and their appointees from handling criminal prosecutions. The goal was to reassure the public that the department would apply the law equally to all Americans, regardless of whether they were the President’s rivals or his toadies.

Who was the deputy attorney general under Bush?

Donald Ayer, who served as Deputy Attorney General under George H. W. Bush, said he remained deeply skeptical of Barr. “He really is shattering the traditions of the modern Justice Department,” Ayer told me. He and Gillers both said the stakes for the country are enormous. A foundational American ideal—that all people will be prosecuted equally under the law—is at stake. Gillers called losing the belief in equal justice “anathema.” “It deprives the country of its birthright,” he said. “That’s what makes us different.”

What did Gillers say about Trump?

Gillers argued that Trump has repeatedly signalled to potential targets of criminal investigations—from wealthy individuals to large corporations—that they may receive special treatment if they show loyalty to him. “Once you inject the idea that political considerations can affect any prosecution, even if it’s a small number, you encourage political contributions in order to win favor, to increase the possibility of a pardon or favorable treatment,” Gillers said. “Once that gate is opened, the public confidence is going to be destroyed.”

What did Trump say about Stone?

Later that night, though, after conservative commentators criticized the sentencing recommendation on Twitter, Trump weighed in, condemning both the treatment of Stone and the Mueller investigation. “This is a horrible and very unfair situation,” Trump tweeted, at 1:48 a.m. “The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!”

Did Barr ask Stone to intervene in a criminal case?

Nevertheless, Barr, who said that Trump has never asked him to intervene in any criminal case, submitted the new Stone filing. In a highly unusual step, senior Justice Department officials withdrew the four prosecutors’ recommendation and called for Stone to receive “far less” of a sentence. Their statement urged Judge Berman to consider Stone’s “advanced age, health, personal circumstances, and lack of criminal history in fashioning an appropriate sentence.”

Did Barr have an outside prosecutor?

But Barr’s statements, of course, could be platitudes. On Friday, the Times reported that he has appointed an outside prosecutor to review the case against Michael Flynn, a former Trump aide accused of lying to F.B.I. agents, whom the President has said deserves leniency. Barr also reportedly brought in outside prosecutors to review the work of career attorneys in other politically sensitive national-security cases. The steps appeared to be designed to placate the President.

Did Barr and Trump work together?

Prior to this week, of course, Barr and Trump seemed to be working together seamlessly to politicize the Justice Department, deciding legal issues—and, increasingly, criminal prosecutions, as well—in ways that benefit the President politically. With surprising ease, they have reversed half a century of precedent that was designed to curb corruption in the criminal-justice system, and earned the enmity of hundreds of former Justice Department officials and legal experts. Many of those officials were deeply skeptical of Barr’s seeming rebuke of Trump in the ABC interview. “Barr’s insistence on his independence is not credible, considering his slavish devotion to Trump’s interests ahead of the nation’s interests until now,” Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at the New York University School of Law, told me.

Who is Biden's first attorney general?

It was difficult to follow Navarro’s reasoning. But he claimed that “Bill Barr, Donald Trump’s attorney general, actually turns out to be Joe Biden’ s first attorney general.”. Apparently, he meant theoretically or fantastically, because Barr definitely was not Biden’s first AG in reality. Biden has nominated Merrick Garland to be his attorney ...

What was the Bartiromo lawsuit?

Bartiromo was just named last week in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by the electronic voting system company Smartmatic against the Fox News Corporation. It accused the company and news personalities of falsely claiming the presidential election was rigged.