Attorney General William Barr made a defiant appearance before a House committee on Tuesday, rejecting claims that hed improperly interfered in the prosecutorial decision-making process to benefit President Donald Trump s allies and defending the deployment of federal agents to cities against the wishes of local leaders.

Barr, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee for the first time since he was sworn in last February, has faced withering criticism from Democrats since his early days in office, when he mischaracterized the findings of Robert Muellers special counsel report ahead of its release. More recently, Barr has come under fire for his handling of cases against Trump associates Michael Flynn and Roger Stone , his involvement in the firing of a top federal prosecutor overseeing cases against other Trump associates, and his oversight of the federal law enforcement response to protests in Washington, D.C., and in cities across the nation following the police killing of George Floyd in May.

Democrats on the committee used much of their time Tuesday laying out complaints about Barrs tenure to date, and most didnt end up asking questions that generated news-making answers from the attorney general.