Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who served in President Trump’s first administration, is making a compelling appeal to prosecutors at the state and federal levels to dismiss all pending legal cases against Trump. According to Barr, these cases should be dropped as the American people have spoken, electing Trump to lead the nation for another four years.
“The American people have rendered their verdict on President Trump, and decisively chosen him to lead the country for the next four years,” Barr stated. “They did that with full knowledge of the claims against him by prosecutors around the country and I think Attorney General Garland and the state prosecutors should respect the people’s decision and dismiss the cases against President Trump now.”
Barr also highlighted that certain legal arguments against Trump have already weakened after recent court decisions, asserting that the issues involved have now been “extensively aired and rejected by the American people.”
Trump’s Legal Battles in New York and Georgia
Although Trump’s legal troubles continue, Barr argues they should be put to rest. In New York, Trump has been convicted of falsifying business records in a case linked to a hush money payment. His sentencing is expected soon, but Barr insists these cases only serve as distractions for the incoming administration. “Further maneuvering on these cases in the weeks ahead would serve no legitimate purpose and only distract the country and the incoming administration from the task at hand,” he added.
Prosecutors Unable to Pursue Cases During Trump’s Term
Once Trump is inaugurated in January, federal prosecutors will be restricted from pursuing these cases due to presidential immunity. Barr noted that a Trump-appointed attorney general could choose to end the federal cases, including those brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith in Washington D.C. and Florida. The Florida case was dismissed on technical grounds, while a Supreme Court ruling regarding presidential immunity weakened the Washington case.
Barr cited the Supreme Court ruling, where Trump himself remarked, “We got immunity at the Supreme Court,”
“It’s so easy. I would fire [Smith] within two seconds. He’ll be one of the first things addressed.”
However, Trump would still be unable to block state-level cases, like the pending one in Georgia, centered on alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.
An Urgent Plea to Focus on America’s Future
Barr stressed the importance of moving past these legal entanglements to focus on pressing national issues. “The public interest now demands that the country unite and focus on the challenges we face at home and abroad,” he said, urging Attorney General Merrick Garland and other state prosecutors to “do the right thing and help the country move forward by dismissing the cases.”
For Barr, the priority is clear. “That case is rife with legal abuse and error,” he commented on the New York criminal case. “If it were continued to be litigated it would ultimately be overturned, but we shouldn’t put up with that kind of distraction. And I think the right thing to do would be for the prosecutors to dismiss the case.”
In a pointed remark on the likelihood of his recommendation being followed, Barr stated, “We’ll see what they think of democracy.”