Article by Kevin Johnson:
Attorney
General William Barr said Friday that President Donald Trump's
political opponents have pursued a "scorched earth, no-holds-barred
resistance" meant to "sabotage" his presidency.
"The
pursuit of scores of investigations and an avalanche of subpoenas is
meant to incapacitate" the administration, Barr said in a biting address
to the conservative Federalist Society.
The
attorney general, in a full-throated defense of the president, said the
political "harassment" contravenes the intent of the Constitution's
framers who, he said, meant to provide the chief executive with sweeping
authority.
"I am convinced that the deck has been stacked against the executive," Barr said.
Barr's remarks came as Trump has been swept up in an impeachment inquiry over
allegations he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open
investigations into political rival and former Vice President Joe Biden
and his son, who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
Before
Friday, Barr had said little publicly about the impeachment
proceedings, suggesting he might be attempting to distance himself from
Trump. But his remarks left no doubt he stands with the president.
He lamented
a "steady encroachment of executive authority" that he claimed had
"substantially weakened the institution of the presidency." And he
said Congress has "drowned" the administration with demands for
testimony and documents.
Hours before Barr addressed the Federalist Society, Trump's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to review a lawsuit in which they are attempting to block a congressional subpoena for Trump's tax returns.
Although
Barr was applauded several times Friday by the friendly audience, he
has drawn criticism from Democrats for his staunch defense of Trump.
A
month after taking office in February, he concluded that special
counsel Robert Mueller's investigation had not gathered enough evidence
to charge the president with obstruction of justice.
