William Barr: Trump Charges Will Bolster Him In Primaries, Hurt Him In General Election

William Barr , Donald Trump s former attorney general, said he believes Trumps legal troubles are likely to bolster him during the Republican primaries but greatly weaken him during the 2024 general election, which Barr said the former president cannot win.

Hes already, I think, a weak candidate that would lose, but I think this sort of assures it, Barr, who has previously said he wont support Trumps reelection, told ABC News This Week on Sunday.

Barr said its not because of Trumps arrest last week in New York on charges related to hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. The former attorney general called that case unjustified and an abuse of prosecutorial power, echoing complaints by Trump allies and even some critics.

As far as the general election is concerned, it will gravely weaken Trump. He's already, I think, a weak candidate that would lose but I think this sort of assures it, former AG Bill Barr says as former Pres. Trump faces several criminal investigations. https://t.co/QHbC7ShGXN pic.twitter.com/uwT1uxRIWj

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As far as the general election is concerned, it will gravely weaken Trump. He's already, I think, a weak candidate that would lose but I think this sort of assures it, former AG Bill Barr says as former Pres. Trump faces several criminal investigations. https://t.co/QHbC7ShGXN pic.twitter.com/uwT1uxRIWj
This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 9, 2023

Instead, Barr said its the federal investigation into classified documents reportedly more than 300 found at Trumps Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and another investigation into Trumps conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence at the U.S. Capitol. Trump is also being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.

Those first two investigations, Barr said, will ultimately make him an undesirable candidate for most voters.

He had no claim to those documents, Barr said of the series of recovered classified files. They belonged to the government. I think he was jerking the government around.

Trump has continued to insist that he has the power to automatically declassify documents, telling a crowd last week that the process is automatic if I take them with me.

The seriousness of any charges related to those documents, Barr said, will be based on how sensitive the documents were and if theres evidence of obstruction, such as him directing people to lie or give deceitful information to the government.

I think thats a serious potential case. I think they probably have some very good evidence there, Barr said.

He had no claim to those documents ... I think he was jerking the government around.
- William Barr, referring to classified documents found at Trump's Florida home

Citing people familiar with the matter, The Washington Post reported last week that the Department of Justice and the FBI have gathered new evidence that points to possible obstruction by Trump.

Regardless, Barr said he believes any criminal charges against Trump will motivate his supporters to rally behind him ahead of the primaries early next year. But that support wont spread into the general election, he predicted.

I think, ultimately, the savvy Democratic strategists know that this is going to help Trump, and they want him to be the nominee because he is the weakest of the Republican candidates, the most likely to lose again to Biden, Barr said.

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As for when Trump could face any kind of sentence if hes convicted of any crimes, Barr said he doesnt believe it will happen before the 2024 election.

This stuff is going to drag out through 24, and its going to stymie and disrupt the whole Republican primary process, he said.

Trumps next in-person hearing on the hush-money charges has been scheduled for Dec. 4. Thats roughly two months before the start of the 2024 Republican presidential primary calendar.