Trump has said, with no basis, that his campaign was spied on. Now, Barr backs him up. This undermines law enforcement. I have no trust in Barr now. He’s just another Republican liar sucking up to Trump.
As Philip Bump notes, Trump wins by making an “informant”(routine for law enforcement) into a more sinister sounding “spy”.
Second, I (and presumably others) take more issue with the "on the campaign" part of the assertion. Wrote about that last year.https://t.co/eA8zzq4NkJ
— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 11, 2019
William Barr is redefining what it means to “spy” https://t.co/pMOydkMJ8Z pic.twitter.com/DUf9GGcaNr
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 11, 2019
Democrat @TedLieu to CNN: The FBI didn't spy on the Trump campaign, "This was authorized surveillance." 🤔 pic.twitter.com/hgDv4Tf587
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) April 11, 2019
Bill Barr could have said "surveillance approved by a FISA court."
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) April 11, 2019
Instead, he said "spying."https://t.co/2H5Hkmz5bX
– Attorney General publicly says the FBI “spied” on the Trump campaign
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 11, 2019
– Unnamed sources around the AG try to walk the comments back
– The President comes out the next day and praises the original remarks, insisting “I think what he said was absolutely true.”
Clear as mud.
It’s hard to call someone in Trump’s orbit even more dishonorable than Trump himself, but Bill Barr might meet that test: unlike the totally unmoored and immoral Trump, this Attorney General clearly knows better. He has to know how badly he is betraying the rule of law.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 11, 2019
DING DING DING. Also, Shaheen gave Barr a chance to take back "spying" and he paused and said it again.
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 11, 2019
Plus, he's an extremely accomplished lawyer and former AG who understands how to parse. https://t.co/77LT3vV5pj
I see the “spying” conspiracy is coming back in vogue, now from the AG himself. Reupping my tutorial on why and how sources are used in counterintelligence investigations https://t.co/9aHRdjw0cn
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 10, 2019
“I frankly don’t even recognize the guy anymore. I am outraged that he would do that, to law enforcement and to the criminal justice system of the USA.” @CynthiaAlksne on AG Barr saying, with no evidence, that he thinks spying occurred on the Trump campaign. #Hardball pic.twitter.com/tVXsFuCggb
— Hardball (@hardball) April 10, 2019
More on #Barr from @stevebenen:
— EJ Dionne (@EJDionne) April 10, 2019
He "must realize the political weight of a loaded term such as 'spying,' but Barr, already suspected of being overly concerned with the president's political interests, said it anyway." https://t.co/LrAlbirhKi
This gets at something that has become apparent the past two weeks: Barr is a smart lawyer who has been out of public service a long time and has no idea what he's doing in the modern political/media landscape. https://t.co/OQemcvdAk2
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) April 11, 2019
Have you noticed that at no time in the past two days did William Barr communicate any concern about Russia attackin' our election or Trump's campaign not once reportin' a single one of over 100 meetings with Russia?
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) April 10, 2019
His only worry was about a Trump conspiracy theory.
This is the sort of thing that the "spying" comment buys us. There will be a lot more where that came from. https://t.co/yAPHlGMr7Y
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) April 10, 2019
AG Barr’s “spying” remark is a “classic demonstration of the Fox-newsification of the Republican party,” says CNN’s @JeffreyToobin. “His use of this term shows how much the paranoid lunacy of the right wing is now moved right in” to the Justice Department. https://t.co/m1qULaNutV pic.twitter.com/kjRx7ldgar
— CNN (@CNN) April 11, 2019
Barr was quick to criticize the agency he now leads, despite having no evidence to support the accusation. Career public servants deserve leadership that supports them. https://t.co/ItT4VEp6ol
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 11, 2019
If Barr had a concern about the investigation and wanted the truth, he'd cite facts and rely on the IG. If he wanted to provide his boss political cover or intimidate investigators so they won't investigate his boss again, he'd cite a conspiracy theory and launch his own inquiry.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 11, 2019
Sad! 