During a Sunday interview with former Attorney General Bill Barr on NBC’s Meet the Press, host Chuck Todd was aghast when the Trump administration official declared the far-left base of the Democratic Party to be “dangerous.” What made Todd’s hyperventilating even worse was the fact that he had compared former President Trump to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin only moments earlier in the exchange.
“I believe that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is dangerous for the United States,”As they spoke, Barr said to Todd about the 2024 Presidential Election. As a reply, the NBC host lamented: “You’ve said this quite a bit. It’s an uncomfortable thing to hear from somebody who was needing to provide equal justice under the law as attorney general.”
That’s quite a change from Todd’s attitude toward Barack Obama’s wildly partisan Attorney General Eric Holder. After Holder announced he was leaving the Justice Department in 2014, Todd laughably hailed: “…he’s a very non-political person….Eric Holder wasn’t thinking about the politics of an issue….The guy wasn’t political at all…”
Todd continued to caution Barr Sunday. “You really think the left in this country is somehow more dangerous than – than some issues around the world?”Barr was pushed back “No, I just said in terms of the leadership of the country, I think they would be a dangerous choice for the United States.”
Despite being so “uncomfortable” with Barr labeling the left “dangerous,” only seconds earlier in the discussion, Todd had no problem comparing Trump to “totalitarian leaders” like Putin. After Barr criticized Trump for relying on “yes men,” Todd took things way too far:
It is the hallmark of many totalitarian, authoritarian leaders.He wants to surround himself with people who will tell him the truth. We’re dealing with this with Putin right now.Is that to say you aren’t concerned about the possibility of him ever becoming commander-in-chief again?
Barr responded: “Well, I don’t support his renomination – you know, to be nominated as the standard bearer in ’24 and I’m going to support somebody else.”
Even so, Todd whined that Barr “shocked a lot of people” by saying that he would ultimately support whoever the Republican presidential nominee was in 2024 – including Trump. The frustrated host ranted: “…because you spent a lot of time in your books painting this person as unfit for office….And making it clear that he himself, that he’s got temperamental issues, he’s got character issues, and yet, you would risk that again over any – over Joe Biden?”
“Well, I think there are a lot of American people right now that might prefer being – having him back in office than what we see under Biden,” Barr noted. It was then that he warned of the “dangerous” left-wing agenda of the Democrats.
Barr has repeatedly flustered NBC journalists over the past week, especially when he denounced the nothing-burger Robert Mueller investigation as “a lie which the media pushed” to both Nightly NewsAnchor Lester Holt TodaySavannah Guthrie, show cohost.
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Below is the transcript from March 13, 2008:
11.08 am ET
(…)
BILL BARR [Trump]He would listen to these people, who didn’t hold any government positions but told him what he needed to hear. And he’s ultimately to blame for that. There’s something about him that he, you know, wants to be surrounded by yes men – on the outside of government.
CHUCK TODD: This is the hallmark of many totalitarian leaders and authoritarians. These leaders want people to surround them with the information they need. We’re dealing with this with Putin right now. Is that to say you should be concerned about Putin’s ability to become the commander-in-chief again?
BARR: Well, I don’t support his renomination – you know, to be nominated as the standard bearer in ’24 and I’m going to support somebody else.
TODD (No, that’s not what I meant), but it was a shock to many people. You spent so much time in your books portraying this person as unfit for office.
BARR: Well, I also –
TODD: And making it clear that he himself, that he’s got temperamental issues, he’s got character issues, and yet, you would risk that again over any – over Joe Biden?
BARR: Well, I think there are a lot of American people right now that might prefer being – having him back in office than what we see under Biden.
TODD: Yes, I do. But I’m talking about you. You’ve had first – but you’ve had a firsthand account. It was there in person.
BARR: I agree. Elections are binary choices. And you frequently – and unfortunately sometimes it’s choosing the lesser of two evils. The Democratic Party’s progressive wing is harmful to the United States, according to me.
TODD: You’ve said this quite a bit. It’s an uncomfortable thing to hear from somebody who was needing to provide equal justice under the law as attorney general. Because you said it while you’re attorney general. You really think the left in this country is somehow more dangerous than – than some issues around the world? I mean, you feel like –
BARR, No. I said that in terms of leadership, they are a risky choice for the United States. And, you know, our system, the person who’s in charge of the administration of the criminal law is a politically accountable official. An official must be political accountable while also being dedicated to equal justice, based on facts and law, without favoritism, partisanship or favouritism.
(…)
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