Bill Barr: 'Other than slavery' coronavirus lockdowns are worst 'intrusion on civil liberties' in history

Attorney General Bill Barr celebrated Constitution Day at Hillsdale College saying that the coronavirus lockdown is almost as bad as slavery, in terms of civil liberties.

CNN reported the event Wednesday night after Barr's statements, saying that it was a four-minute response where he said governors were using executive powers to muzzle citizens and businesses from reopening while the pandemic is raging.

"You know, putting a national lockdown, stay at home orders, is like house arrest. Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history," Barr said as the audience applauded.

"Most of the governors do what bureaucrats always do, which is they ... defy common sense," Barr said. "They treat free citizens as babies that can't take responsibility for themselves and others."

The statements come after a report that Barr wanted to indict the mayor of Seattle for creating "protest zones" to keep protesters and police apart to prevent further clashes.

Slavery involved kidnapping, human trafficking, some sex trafficking, forced bondage, physical, emotional and mental abuse, rape and murder. Barr didn't explain why this was even mentioned in the same sentence as quarantine orders.

See the video below:

Read the full report from CNN.com.