On Sunday, the Bloomberg editorial board slammed Donald Trump and his “failed” attempts to obstruct justice. In addition, the board claimed that, despite Trump’s efforts, the constitutional system has continued to hold firm.
The board noted Attorney General William Barr’s announcement that Geoffrey Berman would be “stepping down” from his position as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). According to Bloomberg , Berman was fired, and Trump’s attempt to hire an “acting” replacement was unable to move forward due to the democratic systems implemented by America’s founding fathers, which placed a deputy in charge while a replacement for Berman is approved by Congress.
Bloomberg’s editorial board argues that Berman’s removal was linked to investigations into Trump allies, as well as the criminal referrals from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which may have been provided to the SDNY office.
“Even setting aside such suspicions, Barr’s action is perplexing,” the board wrote. “If Berman had been performing poorly on the job, then why offer him a high-ranking position within the Justice Department, as Barr says he did? If the president felt that Berman — a Republican and former Trump donor — was out to embarrass him politically, as he has hinted, then why not say so and fire him overtly?”
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner previously pointed out that Berman was investigating Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani , at the time of his alleged firing. Berman took aim at Trump and Barr and accused them of using their powers to rid the government of Trump’s enemies.
Regardless, the editorial board said that the plan — whether Barr’s or Trump’s brainchild — did not work due to America’s constitutional systems. The board claimed that this recent attempt is one in a long line of Trump’s attempts to obstruct justice, including the pressure he applied to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, his alleged efforts to secure election help from Turkey and China, and the firings surrounding Mueller’s Russia investigation.
“Trump has tested it severely — but so far, at least, the system has prevailed. With the president’s first term winding down, and his influence eroding by the day, Americans should be thankful for that.”
Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash previously slammed Barr for his alleged history of undermining the rule of law, as well as his support of executive supremacy. The comment came after reports of Barr’s intervention in the case of Roger Stone , who is now facing less prison time for charges of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.
