The most important man in President Trump’s life right now is William Barr, the Attorney General of the United States. Yet, Mr. Trump may not understand that. However, the hate-Trump media brigades certainly do.
If Mr. Barr were to turn against the President, his re-election chances would be damaged. Significantly.
That’s because William Barr is a tough, honest prosecutor who is trying to uphold the crucial constitutional mandate of “equal justice for all.” That means a corrupt media is not the dispenser of justice, nor is a sitting President who may have a personal agenda.
The latest controversy over Roger Stone, accompanied by presidential tweets, has put the Attorney General in a tough spot. Mr. Stone was convicted of lying to authorities about his role in seeking damaging information against the democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The sentencing recommendation from Justice Department prosecutors is seven to nine years in a federal penitentiary. On average, a convicted rapist in this country serves four and a half years in prison so you know something is amiss.
Almost immediately, President Trump tweeted his outrage – targeting the prosecutors. A short time later, four of them quit. That caused great joy and a spate of anonymous-sourced articles in The New York Times and The Washington Post, two organizations that are devoted to injuring President Trump.
Caught in the middle of the chaos is William Barr who then told ABC News that Mr. Trump’s tweeting about active criminal cases makes it hard for the AG to do his job.
Whereupon Fox Business Channel anchor Lou Dobbs questioned Barr’s “loyalty.”
But an attorney general’s loyalty is to his oath to uphold the constitution, not to any human being and that includes politicians who sometimes defy the human description.
So, now, the President and the Attorney General are, well, let’s use the word “unsettled.”
The ridiculous side of all this is – it didn’t have to happen. All President Trump had to do was wait until Roger Stone is sentenced and then issue a pardon. Presto, Mr. Stone could go bowling with you that very night.
But waiting is not Donald Trump’s style, confrontation is. If you read my book “The United States of Trump,” you know the President always relishes the fight.
But a battle with William Barr is not like the dustup with the weak former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Barr is not a man to be pushed around and he does not want his professional reputation sullied. The crucial Durham investigation into federal corruption is underway and President Trump would be well advised to stay out of all Justice Department business and let those chips fall.
Mr. Trump should also understand that the national media is heavily invested in diminishing AG Barr because it fears what the Durham investigation might bring. The President would be foolish to help his enemies marginalize William Barr, who could expose disturbing FBI corruption that damaged Donald Trump.
Finally, President Richard Nixon tried to manipulate the Justice Department and that finalized his demise.
History can repeat itself.
