- William Barr warns that Donald Trump's 2024 campaign could have consequences for the Republican primary
- The former attorney general said that the classified documents probe of the former president has "very good evidence"
- Barr criticized a Manhattan grand jury's decision to indict Trump over a hush-money case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels
During an interview on Sunday, former Attorney-General William Barr said that the investigations targeting former United States President Donald Trump could negatively affect the Republican primary.
Barr also criticized the indictment of the Republican by a Manhattan grand jury over a hush-money case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. However, he noted there was "very good evidence" in the probe of classified documents found at the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence.
William Barr on Donald Trump's Legal Challenges
The former attorney general's remarks come as Trump is facing off against multiple criminal investigations amid his campaign for the 2024 presidential elections. The Manhattan grand jury decision also made the Republican businessman the first former or sitting president to face criminal charges, as per Axios.
Since the decision, however, Trump has raised millions of dollars in donations from his supporters, cashing in on merchandise such as a t-shirt with a fake mug shot of himself and the phrase "NOT GUILTY" written below it.
Trump also criticized his former ally in September after Barr said that there was no legitimate reason for the classified documents found by the FBI to be at the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence.
Barr noted that the former president had no claim to the documents, especially those designated as classified, arguing that they belonged to the government. He added that Trump was most likely "jerking the government around."
During an interview, the former attorney general said that the indictment of Trump was simply an abuse of prosecutorial power meant to accomplish a political goal. According to ABC News, he pointed out that the Mar-a-Lago case was much more serious.
Weakest Republican Candidate
The former attorney general's remarks come after his former boss was arraigned last week on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. During the Tuesday arraignment, the Republican businessman pleaded not guilty.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that the hush money payment was only part of a "scheme" violating state election laws. The plan was thought to be a plot to keep Daniels' allegations from surfacing during the 2016 presidential election that would have politically harmed Trump.
Barr noted that Trump being charged would only work to further his presidential campaign for the 2024 elections. He argued that it could help him get into the middle of the Republican primary and turn it into a "circus."
The former attorney general said that the Democratic Party might be aware of this possibility and want Trump to win the Republican primary because he is considered the "weakest" candidate.
When asked about the possibility of his former boss being convicted and facing jail time, he said it was not likely to happen before a nomination or even until the 2024 elections. Barr argued that the situation would most likely be dragged on longer and disrupt the Republican Party's process, said Fox News.
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