The Attorney General goes before the press….
A hour and half BEFORE the release of the 400 page report….
He’s 4 minutes late…..
He says that the Russian efforts where NOT known by the Trump campaign….
He says the Russians mounted a disinformation operation…
He AGAIN says there was no so called ‘collusion’…..
He then goes back to giving the methods of the hacking by the Russians,,,,
For the THIRD time he says no collusion…
Goes into the Russian leaking to Wikileaks….
For the fourth time time he points to no collusion….
For the 5th time?
He says AGAIN no collusion….
Adds 6 and 7th time….
He says Mueller did not do charges…
His report lists 10 situations that should be looked at possible legal evidence for charges….
Barr says he decided those charges where not to level that would raise to charges….
Barr then goes into a straight out defense of just about ANY actions Donald Trump has taken after the election that caused worry by outsiders…
He then goes into why redactions where done…..
The redactions where done by DOJ, Mueller staff and Intelligence people…
The report was vetted by the Office of the White House Councel…
Trump did not redact anything for executive priledge…
The report was shown to Trump’s lawyers,,,,
The report will shown to certain members of Congress with almost no redaction…
First Question…
Why no indicting a President by Mueller.?..
Barr/Rosenstaein asked Mueller about charging Trump…
He said Mueller says he would not. go there at all..
Why did Barr give his view instead Mueller ?
He felt he needed to do so…
Barr defends his reason of going ahead to make the HIS call…
Brings up judge complaint that Barr is protecting the President….
He challenges the reporter’s view and then goes on….
A follow up question has him leave’s the room….
Note…
THIS WAS A CLEAR DEFENCE OF Donald Trump from a guy he hired a few months ago….
Barr mentions at least SEVEN times ‘no collusion’…..
Donald Trump NEVER sat down and actually gave his version of things and explained his ‘intent’…..
Barr indicated that he was in sympathy to Trump’s early time in office….
Update…
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said Attorney General William Barr sounded like a counselor to the president during his press conference Thursday ahead of the release of special counsel Robert Mueller‘s report.
“The Attorney General seemed almost to be acting as the counselor for the defense, the counselor for the president, rather than the attorney general, talking about his motives, his emotions,” Wallace told “America’s Newsroom” anchors Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith.
“Really, as I say, making a case for the president,” he added….
Barr’s presser has unleashed a hornets nest of criticism against William Barr from media talking heads and EVERY former Department of Justice lawyer sitting in front of a camera….Same from even some Fox talking heads….
Trump is talking to a group in the White House and double down….
It IS evident that he HAS gotten what searched for in Barr and Rosenstein apparently that he couldn’t get in others….
Barr is slated to go before the Senate soon and Mueller WILL be called to speak to the House…
If Trump thought this was over?
He is sadly mistaken….
Barr could have just made things worst….