Trump picks Barr as US attorney general
WASHINGTON AFP DEC7, 2018 - President Donald Trump on Friday tapped William Barr, a conservative lawyer who was attorney general in the administration of the late George H.W. Bush, to lead the US Department of Justice.
Barr would succeed Jeff Sessions, who Trump forced to resign last month amid rising pressure on the White
House from the Russia collusion investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
“Bill Barr will be nominated for the United states Attorney General position. I think he will serve with great distinction,” Trump told reporters. “He was my first choice from day one. Respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats,” he added, describing Barr as “a terrific man, a terrific person, a brilliant man.” Barr has a record of supporting strong executive powers, which could play into high-stakes legal battles on everything from immigration policy to war powers to whether the president can be required to give testimony in the Russia investigation. He expressed support in May 2017 when Trump fired then-fbi director James Comey, which has become a focus of Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice, and has expressed support for Trump’s calls to reopen investigations into his 2016 rival Hillary Clinton.