An old-school Republican with ties to the Bush clan, William P. Barr, 71, served twice as Attorney General, that is, as Attorney General, under George HW Bush, from 1991 to 1993, and under Donald Trump, from 2019 to 2021. In his recently published best-selling memoir (One Damn Thing After Another, which can be translated as “One damn problem after another”), the cunning politician curries his former boss. At L’Express, who met him in Los Angeles on the sidelines of the launch of his book, he affirms, however, that he prefers him to any other Democratic president.
You have served two presidents in two different centuries. What are the differences between George HW Bush and Donald Trump?
Bush Sr. based his policy on very cautious thinking. He was meticulous, thoughtful, and reasonably careful in all matters. His intelligence was linear, so you understood what he was doing and where he wanted to go. He was also a strategist who had run the CIA. Finally, he took responsibility for all his actions without ever blaming others. Talking and working with such a gentleman was a great pleasure. Trump is impulsive and disorderly. Some of his intuitions are correct. But its volatile character and its erratic way of acting oblige to mobilize an abnormally high number of collaborators to translate its policy into success. The positive point is that his pugnacious temperament made it possible to implement most of his campaign promises from the start of his mandate.
US President George HW Bush December 4, 1992 at the White House in Washington
afp.com/Luke FRAZZA
Is he responsible for the deleterious climate during his mandate?
America’s polarization and societal divisions predated his rise. Trump, in 2016, was simply the product of an era. He came at just the right time to represent workers and the middle class, angry at the “progressive” elite of the Obama era. However, over the months, Trump has alienated many Republicans who have grown weary of his pettiness and meaningless fights. Because Trump is always ready to quarrel with someone. He did not lose the presidential election because of any fraud. It was his temper that made him lose the election. Moreover, in many states (Georgia, for example), his electoral performance was weaker than that of the Republican candidates in the local polls.
During the Capitol Riots, theand January 6, 2021, were you scared for institutions?
No. Trump’s theory that the election results could be reversed in Congress and by the vice president was absurd. And none of the key players followed him in this idea. He encouraged the protesters in the idea that they could change the destiny of the country on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Although he did not incite violence, he therefore bears some responsibility for what happened. But I don’t think the republic was ever in danger.
“Who do you think is the greatest American president in modern history?
Without hesitation, Ronald Reagan, then George HW Bush. I also place Richard Nixon very high in my ranking. History has been unfair to him: the Watergate affair made us forget his record, which was good.
During the fiasco of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, last August, the popularity of Joe Biden suddenly dropped. She hasn’t come back since. What do you think are his mistakes?
I would sooner make a list of his successes (laughs) ! From my point of view, it is responsible for the three major current problems. First, the increase in crime [NDLR: le taux d’homicides a fortement augmenté en 2021 dans les grandes villes américaines; au niveau national l’augmentation est de 7%]. Second, uncontrolled immigration. One of Donald Trump’s successes was to have stabilized the situation on the Mexican border; the democrats arrived and they undid everything. Third, inflation. It is partly the result of Biden’s huge stimulus spending. To celebrate its election victory, the Democratic Party pulled out the checkbook… The result is inflation, also fueled by restrictions on our energy production, which contributes to inflationary dynamics via the increase fuel prices.
President Donald Trump, his Attorney General William Barr, other members of his and FBI Chief Christopher Wray at a ceremony May 15 Washington
afp.com/Brendan Smialowski
Why do you think crime has increased?
It’s simple: justice is too lenient towards the guilty. Most acts of violence are committed by a very small number of people, many of whom are repeat offenders. However, the criminal policy in the Democratic style consists in releasing people who then find themselves on the street. It is the opposite that must be done. From 1991 to 2014, the number of violent crimes and misdemeanors had been halved. Why ? Because we put repeat offenders in jail and the prison population doubled.
What do you think should be America’s priorities today?
First, vote for the Republicans! Then: reduce crime, stop illegal immigration, reduce regulations that weigh on businesses, achieve energy independence, reconnect with sustained growth to promote employment. Finally, strengthen American military power and pursue a foreign policy that protects America and its allies.
What kind of president would you like to see elected in 2024?
Someone who looks more like Reagan than Trump. The latter may have been suitable for the situation in 2016. But in 2024, he will be 78 years old. The Constitution prevents him from going beyond a single additional term. He would therefore be president for four years [NDLR: ce qui en ferait un président affaibli dès le jour de son investiture]. Moreover, because of his character, he is not the best person to unify the Republican Party. Nor would it help bring the country together. Trump is not the kind of leader our camp needs to secure the broad victory that is within reach in 2024.
William P. Barr’s memoir, published in March 2022 is a bestseller
BB
Despite everything, you claim that you would be ready to vote Trump. A bit contradictory…
Most people know that a presidential election is about deciding on two candidates. It is not a question of electing the ideal president but of a relative choice between two people. It is therefore necessary to opt for the one with the fewest defects, which is the least questionable and the least dangerous. At a time when the Democratic Party is influenced, even dominated by its radical and “woke” wing, any Republican candidate, including Trump, seems to me preferable for the country.
Could Trump win in 2024?
Of course, yes. I do not understand the perplexity of the media vis-à-vis this hypothesis. If the election were held today, Donald Trump would win against Biden because people measure in their daily lives what it means to have a Democrat in the White House.