U.S. Attorney General William Barr is facing criticism Thursday after comments he made a day prior in which he said calls for a national lockdown to prevent further spread of COVID-19 were the “greatest intrusion on civil liberties” in American history “other than slavery.”
He said the pandemic response is not dictated by science and that “representatives of the entire community,” should make decisions regarding COVID-19 but it does not give the right to executive rule.
Barr also commented on the ongoing anti-racism protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it’s a “political agenda” and those involved are interested in using Black men and women killed during encounters with police “as props.”
