1. I don't know a whole lot about him, but from what I have seen I'd say Barr was probably the best U.S. Attorney General since the Reagan administration. Take that for what it's worth, since most of these people have been knuckleheads at best and @ssholes at worst.
2. If Trump nominates Barr, I'd say the Mueller investigation is officially over. There's no good reason for Trump to hire someone with a long Washington track record if the Mueller debacle is still ongoing.
3. If Trump nominates Barr, then I'd say he was never as unhappy with Sessions as he has claimed to be for the last 18+ months.
“3. If Trump nominates Barr, then I’d say he was never as unhappy with Sessions as he has claimed to be for the last 18+ months.”
I have long believed this is to be the case. The swamp needs draining in so very many ways, and Trump has been successfully pursuing many of these avenues. Many swamp creatures in the bureaucracy have been deprived of their funding, their mandate and their marching orders, ever since Hillary Clinton failed to get elected. Many have gone into hiding, preoccupied with covering their tracks and now have very limited opportunity to further the deep state agenda.
The swamp is being drained - but in one regard there has been no draining at all - namely locking up the Obama Spygate coconspirators. If that is the kind of draining you were counting on, you’re most likely bitterly disappointed.
But some of the most vocal self-proclaimed Trump supporters were counting on exactly that, and will accept no substitute.
I think Trump long ago decided against having any part of his legacy as President be an effort to imprison his political adversaries. It’s highly questionable how successful such an effort would be and what the blowback would be for the Republican Party if they were to lock up substantial portions of the Obama administration. Even though they deserve it, would it be worth the political blowback? Wouldn’t they just get pardoned anyway, after becoming martyrs?
I think when Sessions became the scapegoat for Trump’s “failure” to lock up Hillary and the gang - Trump just kind of went along with it. I was hoping he’d come to Sessions’ defense - but great leaders lead - they don’t waste their breath trying to explain themselves to critics.