Trump slams Bill Barr as 'slow' and 'lethargic' in 3-page letter to NBC's Lester Holt
After former Attorney General William Barr last week sat for an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, former President Donald Trump sent Holt some comments of his own ... a whole three pages worth.
In a letter first obtained by Axios, Trump calls Barr both "slow" and "lethargic," and says he "realized early on that [Barr] never had what it takes to make a great attorney general." The single-spaced missive arrived after Holt and NBC News reportedly asked team Trump for comment on "a number of the statements Barr made during his sit-down interview," writes The Hill.
The ex-president had also, of his own accord, lashed out at Barr after portions of the interview aired last week, The Hill adds. Barr is promoting his new book, One Damn Thing After Another.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Bill Barr cares more about being accepted by the corrupt Washington media and elite than serving the American people," Trump wrote. "I would imagine that if the book is anything like him, it will be long, slow, and very boring."
"I made many great appointments during my administration," he continued, "and we accomplished more than most administrations could even dream of, but Bill Barr was not one of my better picks."
Barr, for his part, responded to the missive during a Monday morning appearance on NBC's Today, calling the letter both "childish" and "par for the course."
"I mean the president is a man who, when told something he doesn't want to hear, he immediately throws a tantrum and attacks the person personally," Barr said. "I thought the letter was childish."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Read the full letter obtained by Axios.
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Will the public buy Rachel Reeves’ tax rises?Today’s Big Question The Chancellor refused to rule out tax increases in her televised address, and is set to reverse pledges made in the election manifesto
-
Margaret Atwood’s ‘deliciously naughty’ memoirIn the Spotlight ‘Bean-spilling’ book by The Handmaid’s Tale author is ‘immensely readable’
-
Being a school crossing guard has become a deadly jobUnder the Radar At least 230 crossing guards have been hit by cars over the last decade
-
Trump’s White House ballroom: a threat to the republic?Talking Point Trump be far from the first US president to leave his mark on the Executive Mansion, but to critics his remodel is yet more overreach
-
‘Not every social scourge is an act of war’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Pentagon unable to name boat strike casualtiesSpeed Read The Pentagon has so far acknowledged 14 strikes
-
41 political cartoons for October 2025Cartoons Editorial cartoonists take on Donald Trump, ICE, Stephen Miller, the government shutdown, a peace plan in the Middle East, Jeffrey Epstein, and more.
-
Trump limits refugees mostly to white South AfricansSpeed Read The administration is capping the number of refugees at 7,500
-
Judge rules US attorney ‘unlawfully serving’Speed Read Bill Essayli had been serving in the role without Senate confirmation
-
Trump ends Asia trip with Xi meeting, nuke threatSpeed Read Trump had spent the last six days in Asia
-
What does history say about Trump’s moves in Latin America?Today's Big Question ‘Bitter memories’ surface as the US targets Venezuela
