Barr reportedly among White House officials to advise Trump against Stone commutation
President Trump reportedly commuted his friend and confidant Roger Stone's 40-month prison sentence against the wishes of many top White House officials, NBC News reports.
Multiple officials told NBC News that the president was counseled against the move, which was described as a "big mistake." Among those who urged their boss not to grant Stone clemency were White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Attorney General William Barr. Barr did reportedly intervene in Stone's case earlier this year when the Justice Department suddenly revised the recommended sentencing time for Stone from the initial seven to nine years to 40 months, but it seems he drew the line there.
Trump's advisers also tried to tell the commander-in-chief it was a politically risky move because his voting base elected him in the hopes he would "build the wall and drain the swamp," NBC's Kristen Welker told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd on Sunday. The Stone move, on the other hand, comes across as a "very swamp move," one aide told Welker. Read more at NBC News and watch Welker's report below. Tim O'Donnell
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Is the next cold war a drone-swarm race between US and China?
Today's Big Question Both global superpowers are building up their capacity for surging robotic warfare. What happens next is anyone's guess.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Crossword: April 17, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: April 17, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the Riveters
Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Outgunned Ukraine could fall, US general warns
Speed Read Without more US aid, Ukraine is at risk of losing the war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
House GOP scuttles FISA vote at Trump's urging
Speed Read Right-wing lawmakers blocked Speaker Mike Johnson's surveillance bill
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published