President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general once advised that a president didn't need Congress' permission to attack Iraq. William Barr also said the U.S. could arrest a foreign dictator and capture suspects abroad without that country's permission.
That expansive view of presidential power is unsettling for Democrats as the Senate holds a confirmation hearing next week for Barr, who served as AG for President George H.W. Bush.
Democrats fear Barr would be overly deferential to Trump in a position where legal decisions aren't supposed to be guided by political considerations.
Of particular concern to Democrats is a memo Barr wrote last year criticizing part of the special counsel's Russia investigation.
Barr's friends defend his opinions as carefully reasoned and say he wouldn't be a pushover for Trump.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.