On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” former Attorney General Bill Barr stated that the recent indictment of 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is “highlighting the double standard, because at the same time [that] this case is being brought, the department appears to have dropped the ball on the Hunter Biden investigation.” Barr also said he’s not sure if he would have gone forward with the case, which, while legally legitimate, has proof issues, but ultimately, Trump “has this penchant for engaging in these reckless acts that create these calamitous situations,” and “brought this on himself.”
Barr said, “I think it’s a legitimate case. I think, unlike the document case, it’s going to have issues of proof. It’s a more complicated case. And I think there are some downsides to it. I think there are reasons not to bring it. I’ve said before, I’m a little concerned about the slippery slope of criminalizing legitimate political activity. I’m worried about moving in that direction. And I’m also worried about bringing this case and the divisiveness that it will bring by highlighting the double standard, because at the same time [that] this case is being brought, the department appears to have dropped the ball on the Hunter Biden investigation. It’s going to be very hard to persuade many Republicans that this isn’t political.”
He added, “I don’t know if I would have approved the indictment, but — in the sense [that] I may have exercised discretion and not gone forward with the case. I’m also concerned about having this case going on during the election and diverting people’s attention from the issues in the election. I’m also worried about what the impact is if there are acquittals during the campaign. But, as a legal matter, I don’t see a problem with the indictment. I think that it’s not an abuse. The Department of Justice is not acting to weaponize the department by proceeding against the President for a conspiracy to subvert the electoral process.”
Later host Kaitlan Collins asked, “Do you think this entire indictment for January 6 could have been avoided? Is this something of his own making?”
Barr answered, “Yeah. I don’t think that this is an issue of his victimization. I think he brought this on himself. This is one of the reasons I oppose him for the Republican nomination, because he has this penchant for engaging in these reckless acts that create these calamitous situations, and then undercut the cause he is supposed to be leading, and this is a perfect example of it.”
In another segment, Barr stated that there is a double standard and the DOJ does tend to go after Republicans more than Democrats, even though it’s not as widespread as some people make it out to be, and that he thinks the indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a nonsense indictment motivated by politics.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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