On Wednesday's edition of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey discussed his new bombshell that President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General William Barr to hold a press conference exonerating him of wrongdoing on Ukraine — and Barr refusing.
Per Dawsey, one reason Barr and the DOJ were unwilling to go out on a limb for Trump was their frustration at how the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, organized so much of this scheme without keeping them in the loop.
"I want to read something else that stands out in your article," said Cooper. "It says, quote, 'In recent weeks the Justice Department has sought some distance from the White House, particularly on matters relating to the burgeoning controversy over Trump's dealings on Ukraine and the impeachment inquiry they sparked.' Do you have any sense if the DOJ is just playing it safe? What accounts for the distance?"
"Well, several things," said Dawsey. "DOJ is certainly frustrated and taken aback by the press conference that day where he initially said, political calculation, we're a part of the decision and DOJ adding in to do with it. DOJ quickly putting out a statement saying, no we didn't, we don't know what he's talking about. Barr has been frustrated by Giuliani and his many appearances and the things that he has said about the Justice Department and Ukraine. They were upset by the president's phone call where the president intimated Barr should be on the phone with Ukraine's Zelensky."
"Those were several pivotal moments where the president and the Justice Department were not on the same page, or those around the president and the Justice Department were not on the same page," concluded Dawsey.
Watch below:
