Former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr just might be trying to intentionally antagonize his former boss Donald Trump.
This morning, Barr said that he would “of course” serve as a witness against Trump, while also saying Trump is weak and unfit.
So why would Barr say he would testify?
He was asked about exactly that on Sunday morning by Major Garrett on CBS News’s Face the Nation.
Barr could have just said that anyone subpoenaed must testify (or at least showup and take the stand; a person can always refuse to answer a question on the basis of the 5th Amendment).
Instead, Barr took the tone that he would happily “volunteer” to testify against Trump.
Barr also called Trump a “weak candidate that would lose,” and said that Trump was “emotionally unfit” to run for president. (Video Below)
It is almost like Bill Barr is baiting Trump.
Barr surely knows that Trump got himself in serious trouble with his statement that “You Come After Me, I’m Coming After You!” and then later Trump’s Truth Social post about Mike Pence “going to the Dark Side” (by telling the truth) in saying that Trump asked Pence to put Trump ahead of the Constitution.
Barr wants a response. Barr knows he is a witness. Of course, none of us can know this with certainty, but the former Attorney General — for all his unforgivable actions and faults — has always been a brilliant attorney.
He knows he can “help” get Trump in even more trouble if he lashes out at his former subordinate again.
Additionally, Barr has demonstrated his animosity toward Trump in the recent past, as AlterNet summarizes:
“The former AG became vocal about his criticism of the former president in December 2020 when ‘Barr resigned as attorney general and described Trump’s debunked election fraud claims as “bu*****t” and “completely bogus.”‘”
.@majorcbs: "Were you interviewed by the special counsel?"
Former Attorney General Bill Barr: "I'm not going to get into any discussions."@majorcbs: "Would you appear as a witness, if called?"
Barr: "Of course." pic.twitter.com/cJeRzSx91y
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 6, 2023
Barr almost surely talked to Smith’s prosecution team.
They have to establish that Trump knew that he lost the election. Barr is one of the people who investigated the election and whether there was any significant fraud sufficient to have had an impact on the election.
Barr is one of the people who told Trump that there was no such fraud (in what we believe was the incident with the plate thrown with ketchup).
Now we will see if Trump responds to this witness, who specifically said he would testify in the discussion (so Trump knows he’s talking about a witness), and there is no “campaign” First Amendment argument to be made since Barr isn’t running for the GOP nomination.
If Trump attacks his former attorney general, it will be just one more violation for Judge Chutkan to consider and another basis for a punitive protection order.
I can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com and on Twitter @JasonMiciak
Editor’s Note: This is an opinion piece reflecting the opinion of the author alone
