Barr says Trump tweets 'make it impossible to do my job' amid Roger Stone drama
Barr's unexpected comments came days after Trump, in a late-night tweet earlier this week, criticized career Justice Department prosecutors for recommending a nine-year prison sentence for his former advisor Roger Stone. Senior DOJ leaders then intervened and adjusted the sentencing recommendation downward, saying it was clearly excessive given Stone's obstruction-related offenses. All four prosecutors on the case stepped down within hours.
Barr continued, "I'm gonna do what I think is right, and you know... I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me."
The attorney general said he could not "assure the courts and the prosecutors and the department that we're doing our work with integrity" if the White House appeared involved in DOJ decisionmaking for political or personal reasons.
In response, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Trump "wasn’t bothered" by Barr's remarks, even as she defended the president's social media use.
“The president wasn’t bothered by the comments at all and he has the right, just like any American citizen, to publicly offer his opinions," Grisham said. "President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in our country, including the fake news. The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and uphold the law."
Barr and Trump are united in their belief that Trump and his allies have been unfairly targeted, Fox News is told. Republicans have long pointed to the fact that prominent anti-Trump figures, including former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, have avoided prosecution even though they have admitted to leaking and lying to federal investigators.
Barr, speaking to ABC News, said that even prior to Trump's tweet Monday night about the nine-year Stone sentencing recommendation, he was surprised to hear that DOJ prosecutors had sought the harsh penalty -- both because it was inconsistent with the prosecutors' previous discussions with main DOJ and because it did not seem "fair and reasonable" given the facts of the Stone case.
"I was very surprised," Barr said. "Once I confirmed that that's actually what we filed, I said that night to my staff that we had to get ready, because we had to do something in the morning to amend that, and clarify what our position was."
The next day, senior DOJ officials intervened and amended the prosecutors' sentencing recommendation downward, although top DOJ brass have repeatedly said their decision was independent of Trump's wishes.
On Wednesday, Trump praised Barr's handling of the matter: “Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Evidence now clearly shows that the Mueller Scam was improperly brought & tainted. Even Bob Mueller lied to Congress!”
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Elbow Room – AG Barr: “President Trump Tweets Make It Impossible For Me To Do My Job”…
Given the nature of the highly partisan scrutiny; and considering the rabid media waiting to jump on any narrative engineering opportunity; and with the John Durham investigation outcome looming closer on the horizon; it makes sense for AG Barr to try and create an openly visible disconnect.
In essence Bill Barr is working to emphasize there’s no undue influence, and also emphasize the appearance of no undue influence. The problem, however, is that the media will create the impression of influence even if, and despite the reality of, no Trump influence.
Nothing Bill Barr does and/or says will stop the media from falsely creating a narrative that says President Trump and Bill Barr are colluding to target their political opposition.
The answers in the ABC interview as delivered by Bill Barr only pour fire on a furnace of media intent to controversialize President Trump’s communication approach.
Barr’s intention may have been good (albeit selfish), but declaring that President Trump’s free speech and opinion as an impediment to Barr’s ability is just nonsense.
The emphasis is on the wrong syllable.
President Trump has the right to express his opinion and share his views with The People, the American electorate, who put him into office. The President may do so in any form, manner, venue, method or presentation that fits his needs. Period. Fullstop.
It is not President Trump tweeting that makes Barr’s job more difficult; it is the DC beltway response and media apoplexy directed to the AG that makes things more difficult.
If lawyers have their feelings hurt; or if the sensibility of judges is wounded; and if the judicial system of the U.S. government is so tenuous as to be affected by words and criticism; and if AG Barr cannot simply address the issues therein by appropriately positioning a mirror to highlight that nonsense; well, that is not President Trump’s issue.
The consequence he describes, the issues underpinning Barr’s expressed concern, only further emphasizes President Trump’s point about how the justice system is being compromised by politics and media. The simple application of law is being ignored; and the system, of which Bill Barr is the apex participant, is corrupted and diminished by man-made manipulation based on politics and other factors…
If President Trump saying “this case sucks” via Twitter is enough to collapse the institutional objectives of a modern judicial system… and impede the ability of the U.S. Attorney General to do his job, well, what does that say about how weak and compromised the guardians have allowed that system to become?
Then again, that level of institutional compromise explains exactly why a fraudulent impeachment attempt was even possible.
Editor Note
The Turtle, Mcconnel said:
“President Trump is delivering too much honest information and direct opinion in a DC system that relies upon a purely political filter. The absence of that political filter is creating a problem for all operational systems in Washington DC.”
Well written and true. But President Trump is not omnipotent so he still has to be smarter than his opposition and cautious to some degree in this high stakes battle. His 95% GOP support could shrink if he can’t bring them all along with him on his swamp clearing adventure.
He can’t win the political war on Tweets alone especially if he uses the social media site to criticize opponents about things they have no control over like their looks and their height.
A leader must know how far ahead of his troops he can go into dangerous enemy territory alone no matter how determined he is. Eventually, he will need his troops to be at his side or the battle is lost anyway.
Losing Bill Barr would be have been his biggest loss to date IMO. There is still a way he can tweet the truth and not place unneeded public pressure on crucial Cabinet members. Timing is important.
I think Presiden Trump is beginning to get the message that maybe he has sorta, kinda kicked himself in the butt with his roger stone tweet.
On Wednesday, Trump praised Barr's handling of the matter: “Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Evidence now clearly shows that the Mueller Scam was improperly brought & tainted. Even Bob Mueller lied to Congress!”
President Trump should hone his tweets and keep away from the tit for tat stuff on twitter when its not going to help his campaign or those of us who support his reelection.
I have always thought that some of President Trump's tweets were ill timed or even a waste of time.
I have seen other tweets by President Trump that were right on the money.
Democrats using the FAKE news media throw everything against the wall to see if it sticks.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO DO THE SAME VIA TWITTER!
2020 MEGA
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