Attorney General William Barr's actions since taking office are showing that it's "completely out of control at the Department of Justice," Sen. Dick Durbin said Wednesday morning while responding to Barr's reaction to Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report.
"I can remember when William B. Barr was presented to us as our next attorney general," the Illinois Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We were given assurances that he is a professional, give him a chance ... he became the attorney general and now what has happened to him? He's become a political tool of the Trump administration."
Meanwhile, Barr has been "taking trips to Italy" to pursue "wild conspiracy theories" that were already rejected by the national intelligence community, said Durbin.
President Donald Trump also has been making claims that aren't substantiated, including talking about "spies and his campaign" during a rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania, said Durbin, "and the report that came out said expressly that was not the case at all."
Durbin said he also agrees with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said earlier that there are some Republicans in the Senate who will vote to impeach Trump.
"They look at their shoes," said Durbin, describing their reaction when he asks them how they'll vote. "They are very quiet ... the president has already disclosed this to the American people long before the House had its first hearing. And now we have a situation where the administration is refusing to provide documents or witnesses to the impeachment committee."
Durbin also said the atmosphere about impeachment will change "dramatically" in the Senate when Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts arrives to oversee the proceedings, and there will be "no room for celebration and histrionics."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.