Trump is reportedly 'livid' at Barr, has discussed terminating him
President Trump is so mad at Attorney General William Barr that a senior administration official told The Washington Post there's a chance Barr could soon be fired.
Trump is "livid" for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he has not seen any voter fraud "on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election." Trump spent time on Wednesday complaining about Barr, officials familiar with the matter told the Post, and several people close to the president are working to convince Trump not to fire the attorney general.
One senior administration official told the Post it's possible Trump is even angrier that U.S. Attorney John Durham did not make public before the election whether he determined that law enforcement committed any crimes while investigating ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. In October, Barr secretly appointed Durham a special counsel, which gives him more legal and political protection when President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Durham's public inaction has angered Trump, people familiar with the matter told the Post, and is one reason why his relationship with Barr has been frosty for months.
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.
Barr has been fiercely loyal to Trump, and before the election, he tried to cast doubt on mail-in voting, arguing it would be vulnerable to fraud. A person close to Barr told the Post he decided to talk to AP because "he has to leave, and he does not want there to be questions about whether the department was sitting idly by under his watch with respect to investigating fraud."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The great global copper swindleUnder the Radar Rising prices and easy access makes the metal a ‘more attractive target for criminals looking for a quick profit’
-
‘They’re nervous about playing the game’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Will Netanyahu get a pardon?Today's Big Question Opponents say yes, if he steps down
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
UN Security Council backs Trump’s Gaza peace planSpeed Read The United Nations voted 13-0 to endorse President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza
-
Chile picks leftist, far-right candidates for runoff voteSpeed Read The presidential runoff election will be between Jeannette Jara, a progressive from President Gabriel Boric’s governing coalition, and far-right former congressman José Antonio Kast
-
Venezuela mobilizes as top US warship nearsSpeed Read The largest and most advanced US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has entered the Caribbean and put Venezuela on high alert
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Gaza ceasefire teeters as Netanyahu orders strikesSpeed Read Israel accused Hamas of firing on Israeli troops
