Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced on Monday that he will oppose President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, William Barr, decrying him as the “chief advocate for warrantless surveillance.”

Paul is right. Sadly, Barr is expected to soon pass his confirmation vote with near-unanimous Republican support and some support from Democrats, showing that the evisceration of the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure has been normalized. After all, Barr has a troubling record on civil liberties: He played a crucial role in the creation of the modern surveillance state and has long advocated the unjust seizure of property through civil asset forfeiture. His history reveals a contempt for essential civil liberties protected by the Constitution.