Barr chalks criticism of his 'spying' comments up to 'the craziness of the modern day'

Attorney General William Barr is again defending his decision to testify that "spying did occur" on President Trump's 2016 campaign.

Barr, who came under fire for his use of the word "spying" during his congressional testimony, in an interview with CBS This Morning that aired Friday said of the word "spying," "I guess it has become a dirty word somehow" but "it hasn't ever been for me."

"I think there is nothing wrong with spying," Barr said. "The question is always whether it is authorized by law."

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The attorney general also rejected the idea that his comment was an example of him purposely adhering to Trump's narrative that his campaign was improperly spied on, even as FBI Director Christopher Wray says he has seen no evidence that unauthorized surveillance of the Trump campaign occurred.

"You know, it is part of the craziness of the modern day that if a president uses a word, then all of a sudden it becomes off bounds," Barr said. "It is a perfectly good English word. I will continue to use it."

Among those who criticized Barr for his use of the word spying was former FBI Director James Comey, who said he has "no idea" what Barr is talking about because "the FBI doesn't spy. The FBI investigates." Wray also told Congress that spying is "not the term I would use." Brendan Morrow