‘Entirely of His Own Making’: Bill Barr Comments on Trump’s Documents Case

Last updated Jun 21, 2023

Former Attorney General William P. Barr Condemns Trump’s Mishandling of Classified Documents

Former Attorney General William P. Barr, who served under President Donald J. Trump, has criticized his former boss for his “reckless conduct” that led to Mr. Trump’s indictment on charges of mishandling classified documents. In an interview with CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Mr. Barr slammed Mr. Trump’s actions as “entirely of his own making,” which were harmful not only to the country but also to the Republican Party and the conservative movement that Mr. Trump leads.

According to Mr. Barr, Mr. Trump’s character is questionable, describing him as “a consummate narcissist” and a “fundamentally flawed person” who would always put his own ego first. Mr. Barr also believes that Mr. Trump lied to the Justice Department about the classified documents in his possession. He likened Mr. Trump to a defiant 9-year-old kid who always defies his parents by pushing a glass towards the edge of the table, adding that “our country can’t be a therapy session for a troubled man like this.”

Former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper Also Speaks Out Against Trump

Former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, who was also part of the Trump administration, has echoed Mr. Barr’s sentiments, saying that the former president had committed an illegal act, which put U.S. national security at risk. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mr. Esper laid out the risks of state secrets being held at Mr. Trump’s Florida estate, including in a bathroom, an office, a bedroom, and a ballroom, according to the indictment.

Mr. Trump, who is accused of illegally retaining classified documents and obstructing efforts to retrieve them after he left office, is the first former president to be charged with federal crimes. He pleaded not guilty last week.

Barr and Esper Become Vocal Critics of Trump

Both Mr. Barr and Mr. Esper have become vocal critics of the former president, after opposing Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Mr. Esper was fired days after the 2020 election, and Mr. Barr resigned the following month.

Barr Was Once a Staunch Legal Defender of Trump

However, it’s worth noting that Mr. Barr was once a staunch legal defender of Mr. Trump, including during the special counsel investigation into his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia. Mr. Trump “has been the victim of unfair witch hunts in the past,” Mr. Barr said on Sunday. But, he insisted, the charges in the documents case were very different.

According to Mr. Barr, “This was a case entirely of his own making. He had no right to those documents. The government tried over a year, quietly and with respect, to get them back – which it was essential that they do – and he jerked them around. And he had no legal basis for keeping them.”

In conclusion, both Mr. Barr and Mr. Esper have condemned Mr. Trump’s actions, which they believe have put the country’s national security at risk. Despite their past loyalty to Mr. Trump, they have become vocal critics of his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Read More of this Story at www.nytimes.com – 2023-06-18 23:23:47