U.S. Attorney General William Barr has forgotten who he works for. In his evasive and untruthful answers to members of the Senate this week, Barr confirmed that he’s working hard to protect President Donald Trump. That is not Barr’s job. He is not Trump’s lawyer. He is America’s top lawyer. He is supposed to represent — and protect — the interests of the American people.
“There is just no question that Attorney General Barr appeared before Congress today not in his capacity as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer but rather as President Trump’s personal defense attorney,” Susan Hennessey, a lawyer and editor of the Lawfare blog, said after Barr’s Wednesday appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It is a sentiment shared by many, including Sen. Angus King, who opposed Barr’s nomination to be attorney general. Maine 1st District Rep. Chellie Pingree and other Democrats are calling for Barr to resign after his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Barr’s misplaced loyalty should concern not just members of Congress — it should concern all Americans who expect the country’s laws to be followed and upheld.
Barr has twisted himself into a legal pretzel in an apparent attempt to cover for the president. From his awkward press conference before the release of the Mueller report, to his erroneous summary that suggested the report exonerated the president and his testimony Wednesday, Barr has worked overtime to obfuscate and downplay the president’s misdeeds.
Barr has so misrepresented what Special Counsel Robert Mueller said in his 400-page report, that Mueller took the unusual step of telling Barr that his assessment was incomplete.
After his distressing performance Wednesday, Barr refused to attend a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, citing disagreements about the hearing format. Some House Democrats suggested that Barr be held in contempt for refusing to show up.
Of course, Americans should have a full and accurate accounting of what the president did and knew with regard to Russian attempts to interfere in U.S. elections, and the subsequent investigation into these attempts. So far, we know that Trump encouraged people within his inner circle to interfere with the investigation. Several refused or ignored the president’s request, thus Trump avoided interfering with the investigation, according to the version of the Mueller report that has been made public.
The report itself — even a fuller version without redactions — isn’t likely to change people’s minds about the president. Those who believe he is doing a good job will continue to see the Mueller report, and the continuing attention paid to it, as a witch hunt means to sully the president. Those who oppose Trump see the report as further evidence of his unsuitability for the White House.
When the attorney general refuses to do his job, it falls to Congress to step up to protect the interests of the American people. That includes holding the president accountable, and begins by having Mueller testify before Congress.
