U.S. Attorney General William Barr and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a signing ceremony for an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on November 26, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Trump “knew well he lost” the 2020 presidential election, former Attorney General Bill Barr said on the eve of the former president’s arraignment.
Barr served under Trump from early 2019 to December 2020. As Trump was spreading conspiracy theories about a rigged election in the weeks after November 2020, Barr announced that his office had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
The special counsel indictment accuses Trump of spreading fraud claims that he knew to be false, and then using those claims as the basis for a conspiracy to overturn the election results.
Trump’s defense attorney John Lauro argued Wednesday that Trump’s actions were aimed to “get at the truth.”
But Barr said on CNN on Wednesday night, “At first I wasn’t sure, but I have come to believe that he knew well that he had lost the election.”
The government is “going to have to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said, adding that that is a “high bar.”
But Barr also said he believes the government has more evidence to reveal.
“We’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg on this indictment,” Barr said.
— Kevin Breuninger
Police block a street near the E. Barrett Prettyman US Courthouse where former US President Donald Trump is to be arraigned on August 3, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Workers set up security barricades around E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse as former President Donald Trump travels to the nation’s capital city for his arraignment hearing.
The 4:00 p.m.arraignment is the third time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.
Workers set up security barricades outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on August 2, 2023, ahead of the arraignment of former US President Donald Trump.
Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty Images
Police gather outside the E. Barrett Prettyman US Courthouse in Washington, DC, on August 3, 2023, ahead of the arraignment of former US president Donald Trump.
Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Police gather outside the E. Barrett Prettyman US Courthouse in Washington, DC, on August 3, 2023, ahead of the arraignment of former US president Donald Trump.
Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Media members prepare for the eventual arrival of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is facing federal charges in connection with attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., August 3, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Police gather outside the E. Barrett Prettyman US Courthouse in Washington, DC, on August 3, 2023, ahead of the arraignment of former US president Donald Trump.
Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
