Barr calls Trump indictment ‘tip of the iceberg’ in Jack Smith’s case

Former Attorney General Bill Barr called former President Trump’s Jan. 6 indictment the “tip of the iceberg,” arguing that special counsel Jack Smith and the Justice Department (DOJ) have “a lot more” evidence to come on Trump’s state of mind.

“The government, in their indictment, takes the position that [Trump] had actual knowledge that he had lost the election and the election wasn’t stolen through fraud,” Barr told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday night. “And they’re going to have to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a high bar of course. … Now that leads me to believe that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg on this.” 

Related coverage from The Hill

• Trump arrives at DC courthouse for arraignment: Live updates
• Gravity of new Trump charges scrambles GOP politics
• Media outnumber demonstrators at Trump arraignment stakeout
• Barr on Trump taking the stand: ‘It would not come out very well for him’ 

When asked if he thinks Smith has more in connection with the indictment, he said he believes DOJ has “a lot more.” 

“And that’s one of the things that impressed me about the indictment,” he continued. “It was very spare, and there were a lot of things he could have said in there and I think there’s a lot more to come and I think they have a lot more evidence as to President Trump’s state of mind.” 

Trump was indicted Tuesday over his attempts to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election to President Biden. In its 45-page indictment, the DOJ alleges Trump led a campaign of “dishonest, fraud and conceit,” to obstruct a “bedrock function,” of a democracy.” 

The former president was accused of participating in three conspiracies, including a conspiracy to defraud the U.S., a conspiracy to obstruct Congress’s certification of the election Jan. 6, 2021, and a conspiracy against the right to vote. He also faces a charge of obstructing an official proceeding.  

Barr, who served under the Trump administration, said initially he was not sure if Trump believed he lost the election but has “come to believe he knew well that he lost the election.” 

Trump is expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon at the Elijah Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C.