After four weeks of the position being vacant, it may seem as if President Donald Trump has finally made up his mind about who he fancies for the new US Attorney General. The first weeks of November brought with it the radiant beauty of autumnal changes to the flora and fauna of the country, as well as a catalyzing force to inspire then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to submit his formal resignation, ending Sessions’ tumultuous career. Sessions, 71, served as US Attorney General for half the duration of Trump’s term, and many were holding out for him to beat out the dozens of Trump administration staffers and cabinet members who had been fired earlier in the term. Alas, Sessions was no different.
On November 7, 2018, General Jeff Sessions submitted his official letter of resignation to the president:
“At your request, I am submitting my resignation. Since the day I was honored to be sworn in as Attorney General…I came to work at the Department of Justice every day determined to do my duty and serve my country. I have done so to the best of my ability, working to support the fundamental legal processes that are the foundation of justice.”
–Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions
While all that is well and good, cabinet members in this administration are not remembered for their accomplishments in office, but rather how Trump tweets about them, and who has the honor of being their successor.
According to recent reports, the search is over and President Trump’s golden tickets have warranted our country a potential champion to take the throne as Attorney General. Trump’s hopeful nominee is none other than William P. Barr, a former attorney general from the first Bush administration from 1991 to 1993. Barr, both a corporate lawyer and proud Republican, seems almost too fitting to work with President Trump. After a less than ideal mini-term for acting AG Matthew G. Whitaker, who, according to the New York Times, once ousted the judicial branch of government as “the inferior branch,” it was time to pick someone more suited for the position.
“I want to confirm that Bill Barr, one of the most respected jurists in the country, highly respected lawyer, former attorney general under the Bush administration, a terrific man, a terrific person, a brilliant man. I did now know him until recently when I went through the process of looking set people and he was my first choice from day one, respected by Republicans..and by Democrats.”
–President Donald Trump on William P. Barr
Trump’s new attorney general, whether it’s Barr or another nominee, will be tasked with the delightful responsibility of overseeing the remainder of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election. Interestingly enough, as several media outlets have pointed out, Barr has a history of working with Mueller. Throwing back to Barr’s first go at AG during the first Bush administration, Mueller served as the head of the criminal division for the United States Department of Justice. According to NPR, Barr has yet to express his opinions on Mueller’s approach to the Russia investigation, but they did point out that in 2017, Barr shared concerns about political donations made by members of Mueller’s team. Barr told the Washington Post that he felt that “prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party.”
According to several congressional sources, the confirmation process of a cabinet member typically takes two months, and if the necessary paperwork makes its way to Congress, Barr’s confirmation hearing could take place as early as January. If anything can be deduced about William P. Barr, he is wholly experienced with the US judiciary system. Early speculation on Barr has shown no indication of a suspicious history or opinions on any subject that is less than savory. He seems to be well respected across the aisle, but we’ll just have to see how he fares when he stands before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
