Bill Barr issues warning about what could happen in a Trump second term
As the 2024 presidential primaries draw closer and Donald Trump remains the Republican frontrunner, it is becoming increasingly likely the former president could end up in the White House again.
But a former Trump administration cabinet member is raising concerns that another Trump presidency could be even more tumultuous than the first.
Former attorney general Bill Barr told Fox News’s Neil Cavuto on Friday that Mr Trump’s “chaotic” style of governance could lead to some problems and, unlike his first term, he may not have an administration to keep him in line.
“His style of governance, his continuing to pander to anger and frustration versus a constructive approach to solving our problem is going to be chaotic and not going to accomplish very much,” Mr Barr said.
Mr Barr served as attorney general under Mr Trump from 2019 until 2020 – shortly before Mr Trump left the White House.
He said the former president “needs people around him who will push back and help keep him on the straight and narrow”.
But, Mr Barr said he’s concerned that a second term in office will leave little room for those people to negotiate with the former president.
“During his first term, the main way that could be was by pointing out to him how this would hurt his prospects for a second term. Once he wins a second term I don’t know what considerations can be used to push back bad ideas,” Mr Barr revealed.
The former attorney general said that if Mr Trump were to be re-elected he would likely have no problem filling a cabinet but it’s the type of the people he fills it with that raises questions.
Notoriously, Mr Trump had a high amount of turnover in his administration due to disagreements over policies, personal conflicts, poor job performance, promotions and more.
Mr Barr left at the end of the administration, notably after contradicting Mr Trump’s allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Since leaving office, Mr Barr has become a vocal critic of the former president – specifically his actions that led up to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
“One of the reasons I’m against Trump as the [Republican National Committee] nominee is I don’t think he’s going to move the country forward,” Mr Barr told Fox News.