The former Attorney General sat down with NBC's Holt for an exclusive interview about his time in the White House. Barr was inside the Trump administration during the racial justice protests in 2020 and he was concerned about the former president's decision to clear a church plaza during a Black Lives Matter protest. William Barr, the former Attorney General, believes that Donald Trump is morally responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Barr was asked by Holt if he thought Trump was responsible for the violence at the Capitol. The whole idea was to intimidate Congress. I think that that was incorrect. Barr said that he hadn't seen evidence that Trump committed a crime. Holt interviewed Barr for a prime-time special. On NBC. After 22 tumultuous months as the country's top law enforcement official, Barr stepped down as attorney general in December 2020. Barr was asked if he would have investigated the former president over the classified documents that the National Archives said were taken to his Mar-a-Lago resort after he left office. Barr said that he probably wouldn't tell you the truth. He said that it was probably not illegal for Trump to have made off with the documents. The whole classification system is done by an executive order. It is the president. There is no indication that Trump declassified the documents that left the White House with him. Barr sat for the interview in advance of the publication of his book, "One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General." Democrats and some former prosecutors criticized Barr for appearing to act as Trump's personal lawyer instead of being an independent law enforcement official. Barr insisted to Holt that he wasn't Trump's toady, and defended his decisions as attorney general that were in line with what Trump was demanding publicly. During the Trump presidency, Barr spent more time in the White House. Barr said that he probably was in the Oval Office six times. He said "Scores" when asked how many times he was there. Scores. The meetings were similar to a floating card game, he said. He said that there were always players coming and going. In a wide-ranging interview with Holt, Barr defended some of his more controversial actions as attorney general, including a four-page letter he issued ahead of the release of special counsel Robert Muller's report on the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election. Two federal judges said the letter was misleading. The context, nature and substance of this Office's work and conclusions were not fully captured in Barr's letter. According to Barr's statement, no one in the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to meddle in the election. The judge said that Barr left out the fact that the report identified numerous contacts between members of the Trump campaign and people connected with the Russian government. The letter was not a summary of the report according to Barr. It was a summary of his conclusions. The bottom line was what I stuck with. You either say guilty or not guilty. He said that was what he did. I knew it would be made to look bad for my decision to shorten Roger Stone's prison sentence. At the end of the day, you can only do what you think is right. Stone was pardoned by Trump in his last weeks in office. The decision to remove Berman was defended by Barr. Berman was the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was investigating Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and two of his associates. Barr said that getting rid of Berman had nothing to do with protecting Trump. Barr said that he didn't think there was a threat to the president. He said he wanted to make the change. Barr said it was a coincidence that police officers violently cleared protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., in June 2020 just before Trump held a photo opportunity at a nearby church with Barr and others. The inspector general concluded last year that police initially interfered so a contractor could install fencing, not because of Trump. The report said Barr urged officials to speed up the clearing process once Trump decided to walk through the area. Barr was quoted as telling a U.S. Park Police commander that the people would be here when the president came out. Barr insisted to Holt that the park was being cleared for law enforcement purposes, and that an attorney general doesn't take operational control of things. He was told that he was going to trail behind Trump when they went to the park. He had a very scowly look on his face as he walked along, and I said, "This is not going to go over well." Barr said that despite the perception that he was deferential to Trump, he would stand up to the president when it was necessary. The evidence wasn't there, but Barr said that Trump was very upset that he didn't bring a case. He said he resisted Trump's demand to rush out the results of the Russia probe before the 2020 presidential election. John Durham is handling the investigation. According to Barr, he told Trump that they couldn't run things according to a political calendar. He said that the idea of a prosecution of a lower-level person at that point was a misconception. The decision to give prosecutors the go-ahead to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation was made because of Trump's claims of widespread fraud. What he found did not make Trump happy. He said that he came to the conclusion that the initial stuff was nonsense. The idea of an inner-city boiler room where people are making false ballots is not realistic. Trump became enraged after Barr said that he had found no sign of widespread fraud. Barr said that he would never see him again. He quoted Trump as saying that he heard about the machines in Michigan. Some people think that they should be taken away. There is no way the department will seize those machines. There is simply not probable cause. He said he told Trump that he was where he is because he wheeled out a clown show in lawyers. In his book, Barr said that a loser was the lowest form of life and that he didn't think Trump would ever concede. I want people to believe it was stolen if he thinks it was. I don't think he's really focused on finding out what the truth is. Barr is scheduled to sit for a live interview on NBC's "TODAY" show Monday morning and will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" next Sunday. Trump said that Bill Barr cares more about being accepted by the corrupt Washington media and elite than serving the American people. I realized early on that he never had what it took to be a great attorney general. That is not the same as what Trump has said publicly. In February 2020 after Barr had been on the job for over a year and after he directed a lighter sentence for Stone, Trump said of Barr: "I think he's doing an excellent job." He is a strong guy. In an interview for the new Amazon documentary, Lucy and Desi, Ball's daughter said that this could destroy everything they had. According to reports, the Capitol Police Board declared an emergency on Sunday as truck drivers protested in the D.C. area. The protests, which began Sunday and slowed traffic outside the capital, have been dubbed the "People's Convoy" and could last several days. Police can ask for help from the National Guard in addition to being able to pay for their hotel and food. The best home equity and cash out refinance rates are 2.3%. View rates and calculate payment. 30 Year terms. You can view rates now. The Duke-Carolina rivalry has had handshake snubs before. The four-time NBA champion turned 50 on Sunday. While committing to the role, Paul Dano told Jimmy how he came up with the idea to wrap his character's head. The facial tumors grew large and painful. She had surgery that changed her life. A US official told The Wall Street Journal that some Syrian fighters were already in Russia. Gas prices have started to go up in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The portrait of Princess Diana was unveiled at the palace this month as part of an exhibition. Become the master of a medieval castle. Train and protect your men and women if you accept new subjects. Don't give up you. In a video posted by reporter Anya Vasileva, police appeared to stop several people at an apparent checkpoint and then scrolled through their phones. According to reports, the New England Patriots owner has been dating a doctor. The price of oil jumped more than $10 a barrel Monday as the conflict in Ukraine deepened and calls for harsher sanctions against Russia grew. Russian forces battered strategic locations as Putin warned that Ukrainian statehood was at risk. Both sides blamed each other for the failed cease-fire in two Ukrainian cities. After spending $1,000 within three months, you can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus. When I am letting my dog out and waiting for him to poop. The L.A. County jail guards reprimanded Harvey Weinstein after he was caught with Milk Duds. Some take to the streets, others raise money, and still others use social media. Some Russian elites are showing their support for the Russian people through their social media. The elite kids have a lot of followings. Compare mortgage lenders and explore multiple options. According to The Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey, former President Donald Trump said that Kim had the ability to make his staff. According to The Washington Post, Roger Stone made threatening comments about Trump's son-in-law while being filmed for a documentary. NATO should impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine to counter the threat from Russian military aircraft, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. NATO leaders don't want to go into a war with Russia because they fear it will drag them into a broader war. There is a no-fly zone. For security reasons, such zones are sometimes imposed over government buildings or public places. They have a mo. You can find furniture at prices that fit your budget. According to the FBI, the CIA and the National Security Agency, John Stanton encouraged students to read Sputnik News. In an executive order last month, President Joe Biden moved to divide and release $7 billion from Afghanistan's central bank, which was frozen after the Taliban takeover of the country. Half would go to meet urgent Afghan humanitarian needs, and the other half would be given to a subset of U.S. terrorism victims. Courteney Cox talked about her new show Shining Vale and why she doesn't remember some of her biggest work.
NBC News
Ad•Mercy Ship
Ad•The Ascent
Ad•Wayfair
All Rights Reserved © 2024
