In December, President Donald Trump nominated William Barr, a conservative lawyer and former attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, to be the next attorney general.
Barr served as attorney general about 25 years ago, from 1991 to 1993, and at the time was one of the youngest people ever to hold the position. His ties to a past Republican administration may benefit him in what’s sure to be a bruising confirmation fight.
Lawmakers will likely grill Barr on his opinions about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, especially after the nominee wrote an unsolicited memo last summer blasting the obstruction of justice inquiry into Trump. Barr has made other questionable statements related to the probe in 2017. He’s also likely to face questions about his views on executive power, immigration, and criminal justice.
Barr’s nomination came a month after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned, at Trump’s request, in November.