Bill Barr: 'I've come to believe' Trump was fully aware he lost the election

Former Attorney General William Barr outlined his thoughts on his former boss Donald Trump's indictment for the 2020 election plot in an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday.

"I think it's a legitimate case," said Barr, a lifelong Republican who was known for partisan interference in the Justice Department. "I think unlike the document case, it's going to have issues of proof. It's a more complicated case. And I think there are some downsides to it. I think there are reasons not to bring it. I said before, I'm a little concerned about the slippery slope of criminalizing legitimate political activity. I'm worried about moving in that direction, and I'm also worried about bringing this case and the divisiveness it will bring by highlighting the double standard."

All of that said, Barr added that he didn't think the Trump legal team's First Amendment defense to the case would hold up.

"I really don't think that's a valid argument," said Barr. "As the indictment says, they're not attacking his First Amendment right. He can say whatever he wants. He can even lie. He can tell people that the election was stolen when he knew better. But that does not protect you from entering into a conspiracy. All conspiracies involve speech, and all fraud involves speech. So free speech doesn't give you the right to engage in a fraudulent conspiracy."

"Do you think he knew that he lost the election?" asked Collins.

"Do I personally believe that?" Barr replied. "At first I wasn't sure, but I have come to believe that he knew well that he had lost the election, and now what I think is important is the government has assumed the burden of proving that. The government in their indictment takes the position that he had actual knowledge that he had lost the election and the election wasn't stolen through fraud. And they're going to have to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt."

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