Bill Barr goes completely off the rails
President Donald Trump recently claimed that he has done more for black people than any other president in history aside from Abraham Lincoln, and even in Lincoln’s case the outcome was questionable. This was not the first time that Trump has made such claims, and he’s often stated he is the worst treated president in history, even more so than Lincoln. Never mind that Lincoln was assassinated, as have been several other presidents.
Now, Trump’s personal attorney and defender at all costs, Attorney General “Low” Barr, has made similar claims. Barr, the street sweeper behind the GOP elephant in the shitshow circus, in an interview on Fox with host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” agreed with her assertion that the Trump-Russia investigation “was the closest the United States ever came to a coup to take down a president since the assassination of Lincoln.” The exchange that took place:
Bartiromo: “A source said to me a couple of years ago, speaking of the Russia collusion story, that this was the closest the United States ever came to a coup to take down a president since the assassination of Lincoln. Is that an appropriate statement?”
Barr: “In this sense, I think it is the closest we have come to an organized effort to push a president out of office. I’m not reaching a judgment to what the motivations there were.”
That is absurd. Andrew Johnson was impeached for violations of a congressional act. Several others were assassinated. Clinton was impeached. But to somehow to claim the treatment of Trump is similar to the assassination of Lincoln is just wrong and this administration continues to trample history and portray Trump as the poor victim. What we have here is the great Lincoln projection, trying to convey notions of greatness on the great pretender.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.