Bill Barr, conspicuously absent from public view for weeks, on Monday walked into Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell‘s office. Minutes after the U.S. Attorney General departed, the Kentucky Republican went to the Senate floor and delivered a vicious and defiant address in support of President Donald Trump’s spurious and dangerous claims of election fraud.
McConnell did not refer to Biden as the President-elect.
Barr refused to talk to reporters, even refusing to answer questions about the alleged fraud that Trump has maintained exists but has refused to provide any real evidence of.
Washington Post National Political Reporter Robert Costa reports that “McConnell, the most powerful Republican in Congress, stands firmly with President Trump as the president fights his legal battles. Rails against ‘far left mobs,’ minutes after meeting with AG Barr at the Capitol. Wants ‘no lectures’ from Democrats.”
But McConnell may not be refusing to acknowledge President-elect Biden’s Electoral College and popular vote win to appease Trump. Rather, he may be doing it to save his own job as Majority Leader. Costa reports McConnell needs to keep the base united, energized, and “stoked”:
Others see a more sinister threat — given Barr’s actions in support of Trump, the latter seems more likely.
Here’s election law expert Rick Hasen raising concerns:
There remain concerns, at least among rank and file Democrats, that Trump and team still plan to steal the election.