Fearful of Trump s Attacks, Justice Dept. Lawyers Worry Barr Will Leave Them Exposed – The New York Times

Mr. Barr s effort this week to scale back those expectations, officials said, was born of necessity. He is said to have told the president privately that he will not open politically inspired inquiries on Mr. Trump s behalf and that the president s public comments about specific criminal cases are damaging the department s work.

When the president s public outburst over the prosecutors sentencing recommendation for Mr. Stone made it clear that Mr. Barr s message had not sunk in, Mr. Barr and a few trusted advisers elected to deliver it again in a way that has repeatedly proved effective in grabbing the president s attention: on television, this time in a nationally broadcast interview with ABC News.

By the end of the week, many at the Justice Department s headquarters were uncertain whether that interview would resolve what some called an increasingly untenable situation. Some steeled themselves for a stream of presidential invective or even Mr. Barr s departure in response.

via www.nytimes.com