Trump’s former attorney general, Bill Barr, blasted Trump’s “outrageous behavior” in the Mar-a-Lago case and said, “in my opinion, he did cross the line” in the Jan. 6 coup case.
It’s not as if Barr is going “woke.” He called the Georgia election interference charges against Donald Trump, “much too sweeping, much too broad” and “excessive.” He also called the New York hush money case “obviously a political hit job” and “a joke.” He even hyped the Hunter Biden case, saying there are “a lot of red flags” – which is another way of saying there’s no actual evidence against President Joe Biden. Ditto for Barr’s claim that President Biden’s behavior “could be shameful” even though it “may not have crossed the criminal line.”
But Barr made it very clear that the federal cases against Trump are no witch hunt or political hit job. Here’s Barr responding to host Neil Cavuto’s question as to whether judges should consider the timing of the primaries when setting trial dates.
BARR: Well, I mean, to some degree, they might accommodate a few days here and there, but I don't think that that should govern the schedule for pursuing these cases.
You don't get immunity for two years in the run-up to an election just by saying, “Hey, I'm a candidate. You can't try me.” These investigations have been going on for a while. Everyone knew about them even before he announced his candidacy.
So, if there's a chance to get it resolved before the election, it should be, because the American people should know. These are crimes that involve or potential crimes that involve moral turpitude.
Here’s Barr blasting Trump’s behavior in both federal cases. First, the Mar-a-Lago case:
BARR: At the end of the day, at the core of this thing, he engaged, in the case of the documents, in outrageous behavior where anyone would be prosecuted. I don't know of any attorney general who could walk away from it. He's not being prosecuted for having the documents. He's being prosecuted for obstruction.
Two egregious instances are alleged. So, I think that's a very simple case, and that should be tried. If the judge is anywhere competent, that could be concluded before the summer.
Then the election interference case:
BARR: And the other case after the election, he -- in my opinion, he did cross the line. It wasn't just rough-and-tumble politics. He crossed the line.
…
BARR: I think the federal government case is good -- I mean, is responsible because it really focuses on the hub of the issue, which is not just the lies and knowing they were lies -- and that's what they allege -- but the fact that he used this device of impaneling impostor electors, swearing that they were the electors.
But the key point there was, they were in tandem with a plan whereby the vice president would use that as a pretext for nullifying the legal and certified votes. So, it was a calculated and deceitful plan to remain in office by nullifying and negating certified legal votes.
Barr also shot down the “Trump really believed he won” defense.
BARR: Well, even if he did -- and I'm dubious about that. But even if he believed that, that doesn't mean you can use illegal means to rectify it.
If you think the bank is unfairly keeping your money, there are many things you can do to get it back. You can't go and rob the bank.
Ditto for the “criminalization of free speech” argument promoted by the likes of Fox legal analyst Jonathan Turley:
BARR: Well, most crimes, other than violent crimes, involve speech, even violent crimes: "Stick 'em up."
And fraud and plotting and conspiracies involve speech. The federal government has said that knowingly telling lies to pressure people to do things, in conjunction with a number of other actions, was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy. He doesn't have the right to engage in that kind of planning, the plan to stay in office, despite the certified lawful votes of the states.
Barr’s comments are important because he’s a Republican speaking to Republicans.
BARR: [W]hat sticks in my craw and what I think Republicans have to come to grips with is, it doesn't mean -- it's one thing to say, OK, he shouldn't be prosecuted. It's another to put him forward as someone suitable to be the chief executive of our country.
But he’s no friend to the rest of us.
BARR: [I]f [Trump’s] the nominee, then the Republican Party's going to have to live with that.
I think it's a tragedy, because I think the -- from a Republican standpoint, the writing is on the wall. We -- we -- the vast majority of Americans want to send the aggressive radical progressives to the dustbin of history. And you look at our races in states like Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and it's on and on and on, conservative Republican leaders are winning by decisive majorities.
The only place that's not happening, on the national level. And that's because Trump is toxic to too many voters to put together the coalition necessary to win a decisive victory.
Actually, there are a lot of places conservative Republicans lost in the last election: Pennsylvania and Arizona governors’ races, to name a few. Democrats flipped two Senate seats and increased their majority in the U.S. Senate in the last election, too.
Barr also talked up some of the other Republican presidential candidates, discussed why he took the job with Trump, and more. There was also this:
BARR: Trump just whips up their anger. And anger is not a policy for getting out of where we are.
CAVUTO: But he always seemed angry. You knew him and worked with him. I mean, was he always angry? Did he get angry a lot?
BARR: Yeah, yeah.
Then they both laughed.
All in all, this was an interesting interview. You can watch it below, from the August 17, 2023 Your World.