Barr, who said Trump shouldn’t be near Oval Office, says he will vote for him in 2024

CNN

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN

(CNN) — Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who previously said that Donald Trump shouldn’t be near the Oval Office, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Friday that he would vote for the former president over President Joe Biden in the 2024 election.

“I think that Biden is unfit for office,” Barr said on “The Source” in a wide-ranging interview. “I think Trump would do less damage than Biden, and I think all this stuff about a threat to democracy – I think the real threat to democracy is the progressive movement and the Biden administration.”

Collins pressed Barr – who has been highly critical of his former boss – “Just to be clear, you’re voting for someone who you believe tried to subvert the peaceful transfer of power, that can’t even achieve his own policies, that lied about the election even after his attorney general told him that the election wasn’t stolen. … You’re going to vote for someone who is facing 88 criminal counts?”

Barr began, “Look, the 88 criminal counts, a lot of those are-”

“Even if 10 of them are accurate?” Collins interjected.

“The answer to the question is yes,” Barr countered. “I’m supporting the Republican ticket.”

Pressed further on whether he would vote for Trump specifically, Barr said, “Between Biden and Trump, I will vote for Trump because I believe he will do less damage over the four years.”

Barr went on to describe the difference between both parties in stark terms, insisting that “the threat to freedom and democracy has always been on the left.”

“I think the real threat to democracy is the progressive movement and the Biden administration,” he said.

Barr was more critical of Trump after he was indicted in the federal election subversion case last year. Speaking to Collins in August, the former attorney general described Trump’s alleged actions as detailed in the indictment as “nauseating” and “despicable,” adding that “someone who engaged in that kind of bullying about a process that is fundamental to our system and to our self-government shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.”

Asked by Collins on Friday whether the Biden administration’s actions have been worse than his former boss’ attempts to disrupt the transfer of power following the 2020 election, Barr downplayed Trump’s efforts, responding, “Did he succeed?”

“I’m very troubled by it and that’s why it’s not an easy decision, but I think when you have a Hobson’s choice, you have to pick the lesser of two evils,” he continued.

“The fact of the matter is, as I said all along, I agreed with Trump’s policies and despite the media, the left-wing media’s effort to portray it as a lawless administration, it wasn’t. His policies were sound and we had victories in courts and we defended them,” he added.

Barr’s appearance on “The Source” came a day after the Supreme Court heard arguments in the election subversion case on whether presidents should not have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for their actions while in office. Trump maintains that the conduct he has been charged over was part of his official duties as president and that he is shielded from criminal liability.

Barr told Collins that he would’ve liked to see the case tried before the election and that he disagreed with Trump’s claims of sweeping immunity but noted “there has to be some precision as to what exact where exactly he crossed the line.”

“That’s why I feel it’s going to have to go back to the district court,” Barr said. “Was this the president seeing that the laws were faithfully executed or was this a candidate trying to bully and press a state into changing its vote when he knew the vote had been against him?”

Collins pressed Barr, “You were there, which one do you believe it is?”

“I’d have to see all the evidence and see the case litigated,” Barr said, avoiding a direct answer.

“I wasn’t happy with the way he behaved after the election, but whether it was a crime is a different issue,” Barr said.

CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.

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