William Barr’s testimony before the Jan. 6 committee forms part of the former attorney general’s strategy for saving his reputation in the history books. That’s a heavy lift, given Barr’s distinguished service to Donald Trump’s presidency via distortion of the conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report and his politicization of the Department of Justice.
But Barr’s depiction of Trump as being “detached from reality” after the election does have independent significance. It demonstrates that it is possible to have been a loyal Trump supporter — nay, an enabler — through the investigation of the possible collusion with Russia and the Ukraine-related first impeachment, yet still draw the line at Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of a presidential election.
This in turn matters for what it might mean for the future of Republican politics. Maybe, just maybe, Barr’s position can help signal to Republicans that election denialism shouldn’t be the future of the party — and that Trump can be left behind.
