Attorney General Barr defends Trump, assails 'Resistance' in fiery speech to conservative lawyers

Attorney General Bill Barr on Friday delivered one of his most effusive defenses to date of his expansive views on executive power, in a speech where he accused Democrats who've sought to thwart President Donald Trump's agenda of "using every tool and maneuver to sabotage" the administration.

"In waging a scorched-earth, no-holds-barred war of Resistance against this administration, it is the Left that is engaged in a systematic shredding of norms and undermining the rule of law," Barr said in a speech to conservative lawyers at the Federalist Society's convention in Washington.

Barr went into detail as he assailed the self-described "Resistance" to Trump, accusing them of adopting "dangerous" and "incendiary" language by implying the sitting government is illegitimate.

"This is a very dangerous and indeed incendiary notion to import into the politics of a Democratic republic," Barr said. "The fact is, that, yes, while the president has certainly thrown out the traditional beltway playbook and punctilio, he was upfront about what he was going to do and the people decided that he was going to serve as president."

AG Barr assails Trump 'Resistance' in fiery speech to conservative lawyers