Democrats on Capitol Hill went after Attorney General William Barr with both barrels Thursday, accusing him of acting more like President Trump’s personal attorney than an attorney general.
In his 22-minute press conference, Barr told reporters that Mueller found that Russia did indeed attempt to interfere in the election, but he found no evidence that President Trump or Trump campaign officials colluded in those efforts. Barr also concluded that the report did not prove Trump obstructed justice.
Democrats reacted with “shock and rage” to Barr’s assertion that “there was, in fact, no collusion,” accusing him of “using talking points that could have been written by the White House,” according to Politico.
In tweet after angry tweet, Democrats demonstrated that they aren’t ready to “move on” from the Russia collusion hoax even as their precious narrative collapsed before their eyes.
“Now that President @realDonaldTrump’s campaign press conference is over: It’s time for Congress and the American public to see the #MuellerReport,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote on Twitter.
Added Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “AG Barr has confirmed the staggering partisan effort by the Trump Admin to spin public’s view of the #muellerreport – complete with acknowledgment that the Trump team received a sneak preview,” Pelosi tweeted.
“It’s more urgent than ever that Special Counsel Mueller testify before Congress,” she said.
In his statement to reporters, Barr was adamant in his defense of Trump, saying the president faced an “unprecedented situation” and acted with the “sincere belief” that Mueller’s probe was undermining his presidency.
“Criminal acts are still criminal even if you’re ‘frustrated’ when you commit them,” Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), a Judiciary member and former police chief, tweeted in response.
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), another member of the Judiciary panel, added that Barr was acting as “the president’s personal attorney rather than as the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the nation.”
Within minutes after Barr’s press conference, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to Mueller officially requesting he appear before the panel “no later than May 23, 2019.”
“We cannot take Attorney General Barr’s word for it,” Nadler said in a tweet accompanying the letter. “We must read the full Mueller report, and the underlying evidence. This is about transparency and ensuring accountability.”
Rep. Swalwell (D-Calif.) went further than most Democrats, calling on the attorney general to resign if he’s going to act as the president’s defense attorney.
You can be the President’s defense attorney or America’s Attorney General. But you can’t be both. #MuellerReport
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 18, 2019
Russia attacked us. The #MuellerReport details a multiplicity of contacts b/w Russia & @realDonaldTrump’s team and that Trump & his team “materially impaired” the investigation. Yet, OUR Attorney General acts as Trump’s defense attorney. He can’t represent both. Barr must resign.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 18, 2019
In an earlier tweet, the 2020 presidential hopeful declared that he would always “defend democracy and the rule of law.”
Democrats are, of course, projecting here. Many of them are lawyers who sat on oversight committees during the Obama years. If you want to see what a president’s defense attorney looks like, go back and watch Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in action during the many House Oversight and Reform hearings back in the Obama years.
When Republicans were investigating scandals such as the Fast and Furious gun-walking operation and the Benghazi terror attacks, Schiff, in service to the Obama administration, did everything he could to hamstring their efforts.
The entire #RussiaGate hoax was an attempt to frame a sitting president for crimes he didn’t commit because he was seen as a threat to the deep state.
Now, Democrats are spitting mad because the attorney general refused to go along with the Mueller team’s scheme to nail Trump on a process crime. So naturally, they’re accusing their political opponents of doing what they did during the Obama years — acting like the president’s loyal, boot-licking defenders.
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