Former Attorney General William Barr ripped Donald Trump’s “reprehensible” post-election behavior, brushing off critics’ claims that the Justice Department was “somehow reprehensible” in its recent indictment of the former president.
Barr, in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins earlier this week, argued the DOJ has a “legitimate case” but named “reasons not to bring it” as Trump faces four felony counts tied to his efforts to undermine the 2020 election.
Fox News’ Martha MacCallum, on Friday, asked Barr to expand on his argument before he pointed to his objection of an “onslaught of attacks” claiming that it’s an “abuse” to bring the case.
″[That] it’s weaponization and it’s a crime against humanity and so forth and I think that’s overkill,” continued Barr, who also knocked claims that the indictment attacks Trump’s First Amendment rights.
“I think it’s a legitimate case from a legal standpoint, responding to a very grave misconduct.”
The former attorney general declared that the case is not a matter of interference in the election before bashing critics of the indictment.
“I don’t like all of these overkill attacks that this was somehow reprehensible to bring it, what was reprehensible was the conduct after the election. ” Barr said.
“And it’s perfectly to be expected that the Department of Justice would approach it the way it would approach something like this which is under the laws against defrauding the United States and obstructing proceedings.”
Barr, earlier in the interview, noted that all cases are at the attorney general’s discretion before claiming that there are matters where he would’ve seriously considered not bringing the case.
He went on to compare the divisiveness of the case to “what will be achieved from it” before pivoting to talk of Hunter Biden.
Several Republicans have claimed that the four felony charges leveled against Trump are a way to distract Americans from President Joe Biden’s son, who faces federal gun and tax charges.
“And here you are being aggressive against President Trump. I’m not saying it’s improper to bring the case but I’m saying it’s an aggressive move versus very lenient treatment of Hunter Biden and I think that that is very divisive in the country,” Barr said.