Former Attorney General Bill Barr criticized ex-President Donald Trump as "the weakest of the Republican candidates" and boldly predicted Trump's defeat to President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race. Speaking on ABC's "This Week" Sunday, Barr argued that experienced Democratic strategists perceive the Manhattan District Attorney's Office probe as beneficial to Trump, hoping he will secure the nomination because he is the most vulnerable Republican candidate.
Barr's remarks followed Trump's not-guilty plea in a New York City courtroom to 34 counts of first-degree falsification of business records. The March 30 indictment stemmed from the Manhattan DA's long-running investigation into hush-money payments made during the 2016 election.
Barr expressed doubt that Trump would be convicted and imprisoned before the nomination or even the 2024 election. He warned that the drawn-out process would disrupt the Republican primary process. However, Barr believes the case will severely undermine Trump's chances in the general election, arguing that Trump is already a weak candidate poised for defeat, with the case likely cementing his downfall.
Despite maintaining that the Manhattan case lacks merit and accusing it of being a prosecutorial abuse of power for political purposes, Barr acknowledged Trump's predicament in the Mar-a-Lago document case. He attributed Trump's troubles to his "reckless and self-destructive behavior," asserting that Trump is "his own worst enemy."
The hush-money payments under investigation include $130,000 paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels and $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both women received money to stay silent about alleged affairs with Trump, which he has consistently denied.
Barr questioned the nature of the alleged fraud in the case, pointing out that Trump used his own business records and made payments through his company. He argued that even if there was fraud, it was committed during the fraudulent activity, and the exact nature of the fraud has not been specified.
Despite his criticisms, Barr's predictions for the 2024 election suggest that the ongoing legal battles and their potential impact on Trump's candidacy may play a significant role in shaping the future of the Republican party and the outcome of the presidential race.