Booker: Barr’s suggestion of spying on Trump campaign ‘eroded’ public’s trust

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Attorney General William Barr suggesting President Trump’s 2016 campaign was spied on “eroded” the public’s trust in Barr’s public position.

“For the Attorney General of the United States of America to make such a claim, back it up with no evidence whatsoever, delegitimized his position as an independent, he’s not the president’s attorney general,” Booker, who is running for president, said in a portion of a CBS interview released Sunday.

“I think what he did was unfortunate and eroded even more of the trust the American people should have in their attorney general.” 

.@CoryBooker told @margbrennan that Attorney General Barr’s claim that there was spying on the Trump 2016 campaign “was unfortunate and eroded even more of the trust the American people should have in their attorney general.” pic.twitter.com/w3OUiUIGet

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) April 21, 2019

Barr said during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing earlier this month that he believes spying took place.

{mosads}“I think spying did occur,” he told lawmakers. “But the question is whether it was adequately predicated and I’m not suggesting it wasn’t adequately predicated, but I need to explore that.”

Later during the testimony, Barr tried to clarify his statement, saying he was concerned that “improper surveillance” may have occurred in 2016 and he was “looking into it.”

“I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred. I’m saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it. That’s all,” he said.

Trump seized on Barr’s comments, saying he “absolutely” believes there was “illegal” spying.