Trump’s chilling distortion of ‘law and order’

Editor’s Note: Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and author of the forthcoming book, “Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party.” Follow him on Twitter: @julianzelizer. CNN — US Attorney General William Barr triggered yet another firestorm this week when he announced that Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, would resign. Julian Zelizer CNN Faced with Berman’s defiance, Barr sent a letter to him that read, “Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so.” Trump, however, told reporters he was not involved with the decision, a claim that few will believe given how closely Trump and Barr have aligned their actions. Barr’s move came two days after former national security adviser John Bolton alleged in his new book that the President offered to interfere in a Southern District investigation of a Turkish bank. This article has been updated to include news of Attorney General William Barr’s firing of Geoffrey Berman and President Trump’s response.