CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins stumped former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr by asking him to explain his belief that former President Donald Trump would not kill political rivals “and things like that.”
Trump attorney John Sauer argued at a Supreme Court hearing this week that ordering the assassination of rivals “could well be” covered by presidential immunity, as could ordering a military coup.
Barr was in the hot seat for a two-segment interview on Friday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, during which he tried to dismiss the hypotheticals.
But when Collins pressed him rather relentlessly, Barr couldn’t explain why he believed Trump wouldn’t do those things except to say he doesn’t believe Trump would:
KAITLAN COLLINS: Alyssa Farah Griffin, who was Trump’s communications director, posted yesterday and said that you were present at a moment when Trump suggested executing the person who leaked information that he went to the White House bunker when those George Floyd protests were happening outside the white House. Do you remember that? BILL BARR: I remember him being very mad about that. I actually don’t remember him saying executing, but I you know, I wouldn’t dispute it. You know, I mean, it doesn’t sound I mean, the president would lose his temper and say things like that. I doubt he would have actually carried it out. I don’t, you know.
KAITLAN COLLINS: But he would say that on other occasions. You said president. BILL BARR: You know, the president had a, I think people sometimes took them too literally. And, you know, he would say things like similar to that in occasions to blow off steam. But I wouldn’t take him literally every time he did it. KAITLAN COLLINS: Why not? BILL BARR: Because at the end of the day, it wouldn’t be carried out and you could talk sense. KAITLAN COLLINS: But just because it’s not carried out and you could talk sense into him. Doesn’t that still mean that the the threat is there? BILL BARR: No. I mean, I think, I don’t think the threat is there, I can I the thing that I worry about, President Trump, is not that he’s going to become an autocrat and do those kinds of things. KAITLAN COLLINS: Why not? BILL BARR: Because I don’t think he would. KAITLAN COLLINS: But. BILL BARR: At the end of the day. KAITLAN COLLINS: What’s the basis for that? That that understanding that you have. BILL BARR: Well– (pause). KAITLAN COLLINS: Is it just your own hunch? BILL BARR: That’s my feeling. Having worked for him and seeing him in action, I don’t think he would actually go and kill political rivals and things like that. KAITLAN COLLINS: If the jury.
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