Disappointment Over Prosecutors' Secrecy in Hunter Biden Investigation
WSJ "Trump Pushes for Special Prosecutor Appointment"
William Barr, U.S. Attorney General (left in photo), and U.S. President Donald Trump [Image source=AP News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As U.S. President Donald Trump publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Attorney General William Barr on Twitter, there is speculation that Barr may be dismissed with about a month left in his term. Reports have also emerged that Trump is pushing for the appointment of a special prosecutor as Barr has shown a lukewarm response to claims of election fraud.
On the 12th (local time), President Trump retweeted another user's tweet stating that if it is true that Barr, despite knowing about the federal prosecutors' investigation into Hunter Biden, the second son of President-elect Joe Biden, took measures to prevent this from being disclosed during the election period, he should be immediately dismissed, and wrote, "A big disappointment!"
In another tweet, Trump claimed, "Why didn’t Barr reveal the truth about Hunter before the election? Biden lied on the debate stage saying there was nothing wrong," arguing that Barr caused great harm to the Republican Party. He also tweeted, "If Biden (enters the White House), nothing will happen to Hunter or Biden. Barr will do nothing."
Barr, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has been considered a loyalist to President Trump. However, he recently stated that he had not found evidence supporting the election fraud allegations claimed by Trump, and reports have emerged that although he was aware of the investigation into Hunter, which Trump had attacked, he took measures to prevent this fact from being disclosed during the election period.
As President Trump publicly expressed disappointment with Barr, there are also views that Barr could be dismissed. CNN reported, citing sources, that Trump was furious after hearing during a meeting with his staff at the White House the day before that Barr had taken steps to keep the Hunter investigation from being made public. CNN said, "Trump has seriously considered replacing Barr, but whether he will actually carry it out is uncertain," adding, "He has already received advice from his staff over the past several months that it would be better not to do so."
Some voices are also saying that Trump is pushing for the appointment of a special prosecutor related to the Hunter investigation and the election. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing sources, that Trump recently instructed his staff to look for a suitable candidate to serve as a special prosecutor, and that senior White House officials and Trump allies in Congress are also pressuring for the appointment of a special prosecutor.
Mark Meadows, White House Chief of Staff, reportedly told those around him that President Trump is interested in pushing for a special prosecutor to investigate election fraud allegations and wants swift action, according to the sources. WSJ reported that senior White House officials are also discussing the possibility of appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Hunter Biden. The push for a special prosecutor is interpreted as a move to take direct legal action through a special prosecutor since Barr has not actively responded to Trump’s election fraud claims.
Meanwhile, President Trump reiterated his intention to continue his refusal to concede by repeating his claim on Twitter that he won the election by a large margin. He also criticized the U.S. Supreme Court, which dismissed Texas’s lawsuit seeking to invalidate election results in Pennsylvania and three other states, saying, "The Supreme Court has no interest at all in this largest-scale voter fraud. What they care about is their reputation."
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