Barr: Trump's obstruction was OK because he was 'frustrated and angered'
Attorney General William Barr said Trump committed 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice — and said they were warranted because Trump was ‘frustrated and angered.’
Attorney General Bill Barr’s news conference ahead of the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report is even worse than anyone could have imagined.
Barr cherry-picked facts and made definitive claims without the public being able to see any of the underlying evidence, spinning the findings in a way that look favorable to Trump.
Of all the egregious things Barr did during his news conference, however, Barr’s defense of the 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice he says the Mueller report found was the most galling.
Barr put into “context” Trump’s attempts at obstruction, saying Trump’s anger over the media’s reporting on the investigation as a legitimate reason to obstruct the probe.
“There is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks,” Barr said.
Of course, that is absolutely not a defense to obstruct a federal investigation.
Barr’s rationale calls into question his decision not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice, as Barr is clearly on Trump’s side and working to protect Trump rather than serving as the chief law enforcement officer for all Americans.
In all, Barr’s “news” conference is a stain on Barr’s record and an embarrassment for the Department of Justice.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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