Dan Abrams, chief legal analyst for ABC News, explained that President Trump could appoint a “politicized” person to replace Attorney General William Barr if Barr were to resign.
Rumors surrounding Barr’s tenure reached new heights in recent days amid reports that he would consider resigning if the president doesn’t stop publicly commenting on law enforcement matters. The speculation surrounding his potential resignation took off after Barr revealed that Trump interjecting into legal matters, such as in the Roger Stone case, makes his job “impossible.”
“Look: This is personal now to Barr,” Abrams explained on Wednesday. “This is embarrassing for Barr. He’s the one who has to report back to everyone who works at the Department of Justice, and I think that for him, as a result, this isn’t some broad matter of right and wrong and the rule of law. This is about the fact that in effect, you are disrespecting me.”
He added that if Barr steps down, Trump’s next attorney general pick would likely be an acting attorney general not confirmed by the Senate, someone “who is willing to play ball to some degree with the president.”
“And so, you may see someone who is even more politicized than what we’ve seen from Bill Barr,” Abrams added.
Barr’s spokeswoman Kerri Kupec denied that her boss is planning an exit.
