Attorney General
William Barr seems to think public health precautions are akin to one of the greatest mass atrocities America has ever committed.During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states and cities implemented stay-at-home orders requiring people to remain inside except for work and other essential activities. Studies showed those orders prevented explosions of COVID-19 cases and likely saved thousands of lives, but to Barr, they verged on unconstitutional.During a Wednesday talk at Hillsdale College's "Constitution Day" celebration, Barr posited that "putting a national lockdown, stay-at-home orders, [are] like house arrest." "Other than slavery ... this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in
American history," Barr continued.
Barr's comments drew a ton of criticism, including from short-lived
White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who called it another example of how Barr has continually toyed with "radical right-wing nonsense" under
President Trump.