10 things you need to know today: April 11, 2019

Barr says "spying did occur" against Trump's campaign, Trump says "dangerous people" are entering the U.S., and more

William Barr on Capitol Hill
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

1. Barr says 'spying did occur' against Trump campaign

Attorney General William Barr said in a Senate budget hearing on Wednesday that he thinks "spying did occur" targeting President Trump's 2016 campaign. The comments seemed to amount to an endorsement of claims by Trump and other Republicans that biased FBI leaders ordered inappropriate surveillance on Trump associates in an effort that led to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling. Barr told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee that he would look into the matter, but had no "specific evidence" yet. Trump endorsed Barr's comments, saying he would see what started the "illegal witch hunt." Democrats harshly criticized Barr for the remarks, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called "very dismaying." Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Barr should "retract his unfounded, irresponsible claim."

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.