William Barr’s Dangerous Endorsement of Todd Blanche
Trump’s former attorney general proposes a Senate blessing of Trump’s threats to the rule of law.
TL;DR
- Donald Trump seeks an Attorney General to prosecute his political enemies.
- William Barr, formerly Trump's Attorney General, prioritizes advancing conservative policies.
- Barr's endorsement of Todd Blanche for Attorney General is seen as awkward and unenthusiastic.
- Barr suggests that anyone serving under Trump would be constrained, implying Blanche is as good as anyone.
- The article criticizes Barr for overlooking evidence that Blanche is willing to pursue "ginned-up charges" against Trump's opponents.
- Barr's justification for Blanche's potential deference to Trump is that it's "not necessarily wrong" if believed lawful.
- The author compares Barr's endorsement to endorsing Genghis Khan's leadership based on his trade agenda, ignoring his violence.
- The article suggests Barr's decision legitimizes Blanche's alleged corruption of the law.
- The article references Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt's book 'How Democracies Die,' suggesting allies of an aspiring authoritarian are crucial.