President Trump has been extremely pleased with his new Attorney General William Barr, and judging by his sense of humor you can tell why. This morning, following the annual Peace Officers' Memorial Day service on Capitol Hill, Barr confronted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a rather savage joke.
A bit of gallows humor from AG Barr this morning: He approached @SpeakerPelosi at an event today to shake her hand and ask, “Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?” Per a bystander, Pelosi told him that the House Sergeant at Arms was there should an arrest be necessary.
— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) May 15, 2019
Today at a law enforcement ceremony at Capitol:
— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) May 15, 2019
AG Barr approached Pelosi, shook her hand: "Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?"
Pelosi smiled and, per a bystander, told Barr the House Sergeant at Arms was there should an arrest be needed. Barr laughed; walked away
Barr sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for hours earlier this month to answer questions about Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. He declined to do the same for the House Judiciary because Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) wanted staffers to ask him questions.
Pelosi was one of several Democrats to assert that during another April hearing Barr committed a crime by lying to Congress. He answered no when asked if he knew what Mueller thought of his 4-page summary of his final report, but an uncovered letter from the special counsel revealed he had sent Barr a few concerns about it. Barr stood by his answer because he said it was clear to him Mueller did not believe he had misrepresented his findings.
Still, Pelosi was adamant.
“He lied to Congress," Pelosi said at a news conference. "He lied to Congress. And if anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the president of the United States, and not the attorney general.”
The House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Barr in contempt and Pelosi is planning to schedule a full House vote on it.
Hence this morning's quip from the AG.