William Barr has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Jeff Sessions for the attorney general role, reports the Washington Post, citing sources.
“Barr, 68, a well-respected Republican lawyer who served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush, has emerged as a favorite candidate of a number of Trump administration officials, including senior lawyers in the White House Counsel’s Office, these people said. Two people familiar with the discussions said the president has told advisers in recent days that he plans to nominate Barr,” the Post noted.
He’s said to be viewed as “someone who knows the department well and is a good manager.”
“Barr, if nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, would replace acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who has been filling the position since Sessions was ousted Nov. 7,” reports Bloomberg.
The news comes as Trump continues to attack special counsel Robert Mueller who’s probing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
“Without the phony Russia Witch Hunt, and with all that we have accomplished in the last almost two years (Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judge’s, Military, Vets, etc.) my approval rating would be at 75% rather than the 50% just reported by Rasmussen. It’s called Presidential Harassment!” Trump tweeted Thursday.
And in a tweet last month, he stated: “Did you ever see an investigation more in search of a crime? At the same time Mueller and the Angry Democrats aren’t even looking at the atrocious, and perhaps subversive, crimes that were committed by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. A total disgrace!”
