President Donald Trump “wasn’t bothered” by Attorney General Bill Barr’s rebuke of his tweets calling for a lighter sentence for his longtime associate Roger Stone, according to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.
Barr had said in a Thursday interview with ABC that it was “time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” and that such tweets made his job “impossible.” The response was widely seen as a rebuke of Trump’s tweets about Stone’s case.
“The President wasn’t bothered by the comments at all and he has the right, just like any American citizen, to publicly offer his opinions. President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in our country, including fake news. The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and uphold the law,” Grisham said in a statement. (RELATED: Here’s What The Lead Roger Stone Juror Said During Jury Selection)
Former advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, departs the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after being found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election on November 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! https://t.co/rHPfYX6Vbv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020
“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” Barr told ABC News’ Pierre Thomas in an interview. “I have a problem with some of, some of the tweets. As I said at my confirmation hearing, I think the essential role of the attorney general is to keep law enforcement, the criminal process sacrosanct to make sure there is no political interference in it. And I have done that and I will continue to do that.”
The DOJ sent a new, lighter sentencing recommendation for Stone Tuesday, arguing the initial recommendation was “excessive.”