Donald Trump is scrambling now that efforts are being made to actually hold him accountable for his actions. A new report from The Washington Post shows that Trump’s strategy of attacking his investigators is about to take on a whole new life.
Just in: Trump has directed U.S. intelligence agencies to cooperate with the Justice Department's review of the origins of the Russia investigation (the "spying" probe) and has given AG Barr authority to declassify information as he sees fit.
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) May 24, 2019
The party that insisted that the infamous tarmac conversation between Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch was evidence of a conspiracy is totally behind Trump’s new attorney general helping him attack those investigators. On Thursday, Trump ordered the intelligence community to assist William Barr in uncovering “spying” on the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and will give Barr full discretion in declassifying cherry-picked information to try to prove that the investigation into his campaign was illegal.
The Washington Post reports that:
‘President Trump has granted Attorney General William P. Barr “full and complete authority” to declassify government secrets, and he has ordered the intelligence agencies to cooperate promptly with Barr’s audit of the investigation into Russian election interference in 2016.
‘Barr requested the authority to make his own declassification decisions in the course of that review, according to a White House memorandum released late Thursday.’
.@realDonaldTrump has issued a memo to heads of State, Treasury, Defense, Energy, DHS, DNI and the CIA to help AG William Barr with his “spying” review. pic.twitter.com/AgLvdvCFIy
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) May 24, 2019
The same attorney general who refuses to release an unredacted copy of the Mueller report because it’s “against the law” is now changing the law in order to release classified information to prove what Trump’s own FBI Director Christopher Wray has already said never happened. The FBI did send an undercover agent into the Trump campaign after reports were made that the campaign was illegally conspiring with Russia to influence the 2016 election, and Wray has already stated that nothing improper took place.
A statement from the White House said that:
‘Today’s action will ensure that all Americans learn the truth about the events that occurred, and the actions that were taken, during the last Presidential election and will restore confidence in our public institutions.’
Barr told senators last month that “spying did occur” on the Trump 2016 campaign and that he wanted to find out if it was “improper."
Earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had no evidence of “illegal spying.”
— NPR (@NPR) May 24, 2019
Trump is proving once again that he will abuse his power to save his own skin and try to save face with his supporters. As his poll numbers continue to sink and 2020 looms large, the president is willing to circumvent the rules in order to create a false narrative. Worse, the attorney general is helping him do so.
‘The president’s order gives Barr significant authority over agencies that typically hold their secrets close, and don’t declassify them easily.
‘While the memo states Barr should consult with the head of an agency before declassifying its secrets, it also demands that Barr get prompt responses and documents from the intelligence community.’
Pres Trump authorizes US Intelligence to fully cooperate with Atty Gen Barr's investigation of "surveillance" during 2016 Pres Election. @POTUS had previously called it "spying." WH statement attached: pic.twitter.com/WaGOBokTLa
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 24, 2019
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
