Trump former AG Bill Barr slams FBI over Trump-Russia conspiracy investigation

Former Attorney General William Barr has commented on Special Counsel John Durham’s report on the Trump-Russia investigation, which marked the conclusion of the investigation Barr himself launched during the Trump administration.

“I think the real story here, from the FBI’s perspective, is what an abomination this was, this so-called investigation,” said Barr of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Fox news conversation on Tuesday.

“You know, if it wasn’t a witch hunt, then it’s a good imitation of it,” added Barr, who first commissioned Durham to investigate the origins of the FBI investigation in April 2019, as well as Special Counsel Robert . Mueller’s subsequent investigation.

Barr, who previously strongly opposed Trump’s bid to retake the White House in 2024, doubled down on those criticisms, but agreed that Durham’s findings supported Trump’s longstanding harsh criticism of Crossfire Hurricane.

“I don’t support him for a re-nomination, but he was right about this and this is a justification. He was right from the start,” Barr said.

“I think it will help him in the short term. My own view is that he will not win the nomination,” the former Trump cabinet member added.

“I don’t have anything personal against him and there’s no, you know — I don’t have any antipathy towards him at all. But I just don’t think he’s the right leader for the Republican Party going forward,” Barr continued.

“I think people who want to restore America should look for a big win that will empower Congress and allow us to make some fundamental changes, and I don’t think he’s capable of those kinds of victories.” Barr said. .

Barr said he believes Trump has “the best chance of losing” to President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term, adding: “Even if he wins, I’m concerned he will beat the Republicans in Congress would be wiped out because of the huge turnout. that would only happen to vote against him.’

“He was very good at stopping the Progressive March in 2016, but I don’t think he has the skills to, you know, unite the party and convince people for a particular program and get it done through Congress Barr concluded.

Trump is the strong early front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, though a number of candidates widely expected to enter the race have yet to make themselves known.

Barr served as a cabinet minister in the Trump administration (see above in 2020), but has strongly opposed Trump’s bid for re-election

Special Counsel John Durham has been investigating the FBI investigation for four years

Durham’s report, released Monday, found the Justice Department and FBI “failed to live up to their mission of strict adherence to the law.”

It comes after his years of research into the origins of the FBI’s original investigation known as “Crossfire Hurricane.”

Investigators investigated whether the Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

But the special counsel said senior FBI personnel showed “a serious lack of analytical rigor” and a “significant reliance on investigative leads provided or funded (directly or indirectly) by Trump’s political opponents.”

In a statement, the FBI said the agency’s current leadership has taken dozens of corrective actions.

“Had those reforms taken place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been avoided,” the FBI said in a statement.

In a televised interview Tuesday evening, Trump also responded to the Durham report, saying the findings justify his claims of baseless prosecution.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed claims of Russian collusion as a ‘hoax’ and ‘a witch hunt’

“It’s a great vindication and it feels good, and the report has been widely praised,” Trump told Newsmax in a telephone interview.

“All these people are — I think you could call it betrayal. You could call it many different things. But this should never happen again in our country,” Trump said.

Trump also welcomed the Durham report in a post on his Truth Social platform.

‘WOW! After extensive investigation, Special Counsel John Durham concludes that the FBI should never have launched the Trump-Russia probe!” said Trump.

“In other words, the American public was scammed, just as it is now being scammed by those who don’t want to see GREATNESS for AMERICA!” he added, apparently referring to the many ongoing criminal investigations against him.