Barr’s virus comparison criticized.

WASHINGTON >> Attorney General William Barr drew sharp condemnation Thursday for comparing lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic to slavery.

In remarks Wednesday night at an event hosted by Hillsdale College, Barr had called the lockdown orders the “greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history” since slavery.

His comments, at a Northern Virginia event hosted by the school, also criticized his own prosecutors for behaving as “headhunters” in their pursuit of prominent targets and for using the weight of the criminal justice system to launch what he said were “ill-conceived” political probes.

During a CNN drive-in town hall in Pennsylvania on Thursday night, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden joined the criticism of Barr’s slavery comment.

“Did you ever, ever think, any of you,” Biden said, that the attorney general would say “that following the recommendations of the scientific community to save your and other peoples’ lives is equivalent to slavery, people being put in chains.”

He added: “I never, ever, ever thought I would see such a thoroughly, totally irresponsible administration.”

Rep. James Clyburn, DS.C., the No. 3 House Democratic leader, told CNN that Barr’s remarks were “the most ridiculous, tonedeaf, God-awful things I’ve ever heard” because they wrongly equated human bondage with a measure aimed at saving lives.

“Slavery was not about saving lives. It was about devaluing lives,” Clyburn said. “This pandemic is a threat to human life.”

Barr’s comments appeared to be a thinly veiled reference to the fracas that arose ahead of the February sentencing of Trump confidant Roger Stone. In that case, Barr overruled the sentencing recommendation of the line prosecutors in favor of a lighter punishment. The move prompted the entire trial team to quit before Stone’s sentencing hearing.

Barr has defended his intervention as in the interests of justice.