Republicans sure are in a pickle these days. On one hand, it would be good for the Grand Old Party if twice-indicted former president Donald Trump is blocked from ever stepping inside the White House again. On the other, he’s crushing any 2024 rivals, so they can’t say anything mean. A few brave souls have dared acknowledge the truth: that his second indictment is far more damaging than the first. That includes at least one former employee.
Former Trump AG Bill Barr on Trump’s federal indictment: “If even half of it is true, then he’s toast. I mean, it’s a very detailed indictment, and it’s very, very damning. This idea of presenting Trump as a victim here — a victim of a witch hunt — is ridiculous.” pic.twitter.com/iUTPR3qeR8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 11, 2023
Bill Barr, who served as Attorney General under Trump till almost the very end, went on Fox News Sunday. Unlike many in the GOP, he didn’t even try to spin doctor Trump’s crimes.
“If even half of it is true, he is toast,” Barr theorized. “I mean, it’s a very detailed indictment, and it’s very, very damning.”
While the likes of Lindsey Graham and Jim Jordan were tying themselves up into pretzels with their lack of logic, Barr argued that there’s no politicization going on when it comes to Trump’s mishandling of classified government documents.
“This idea of presenting Trump as a victim here or a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous,” Barr declared. “Yes, he’s been a victim in the past. His adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims. And I’ve been at his side defending against them when he is a victim. But this is much different. He’s not a victim here. He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents. Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has. They have to be in the custody of the archivist. He had no right to maintain them and retain them.”
Barr also laid out his track record when it comes to Trump, for good and ill.
“He’s been angry with me for a while,” Barr explaiend. “But you know, I defended the president on on Russia-gate. I stood up and called out [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg’s politicized hit job. And I have spoken out for 30 years about the abuse of the criminal justice process to influence politics. But this is simply not true. This particular episode of trying to retrieve those documents, the government acted responsibly. and it was Donald Trump who acted irresponsibly.”
Of course, will this keep Barr from voting for Trump should he clinch the nomination yet again? Oh, probably not.
In the days since Trump was indicted, again, the big guy has ranted and raved. But he hasn’t let it keep him from delivering public speeches, including one where he let slip that he’s only slamming transgender people because he knows it riles his base up.
(Via Mediaite)