William Barr is confirmed and sworn in as Donald Trump’s attorney general, putting him in charge of Robert Mueller’s Russia probe
- William Barr becomes attorney general for the second time, returning to a job he held under George H.W. Bush
- The Republican-controlled Senate voted largely along party lines, 54-45, to confirm Barr
The US Senate on Thursday confirmed William Barr and he was swiftly sworn in as the nation’s next attorney general, placing him in control of the long-running investigation into President Donald Trump’s possible Russia connections.
Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Senate voted largely along party lines, 54-45, to confirm Barr to the post, which he had previously held under George H.W. Bush’s administration.
Trump has attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation as a “witch hunt.” But Barr said during congressional testimony that he does not agree with that description, and that he would allow Mueller to complete his investigation unimpeded.
The White House said Barr’s confirmation marks “a major victory for justice and the rule of law in America.”
William Barr, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, testifies that Robert Mueller’s probe is no witch hunt
Barr, 68, was sworn in in the Oval Office, according to the Justice Department.
The long-time communications industry lawyer takes the job amid a tug of war between the president, who wants greater control of the Justice Department, and Mueller.