Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Rod Rosenstein Looked Very Uncomfortable Standing Behind William Barr During His Press Conference, and Everyone Is Making the Same Joke

Rod Rosenstein Looked Very Uncomfortable Standing Behind William Barr During His Press Conference, and Everyone Is Making the Same Joke
@ABC/Twitter

Accurate.

Attorney General William Barr held a bizarre press conference ahead of the release of the redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report Thursday morning and people are making the same observation.

Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein - the man who appointed, served as a witness for, and oversaw Mueller's investigation - caught the attention of social media as he stared blankly into space while Barr tacitly cleared President Donald Trump of any wrongdoing.


Check it out:

Rosenstein looked like a hostage.

Awkward.

People have their theories as to what was going through Rosenstein's head.

Barr also drew the ire of politicos and legal experts for his interpretation of Mueller's findings.

Specifically, the special counsel's report indicated that there were 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice by Trump, including efforts to have Mueller fired and pressuring former AG Jeff Sessions to unrecuse himself.

Barr's comments were remarkable.

"Although the Deputy Attorney General and I disagreed with some of the Special Counsel’s legal theories and felt that some of the episodes examined did not amount to obstruction as a matter of law, we did not rely solely on that in making our decision," Barr said.

Barr added that Trump's emotions in his attempts to obstruct justice did not amount to criminal intent. In other words, Trump was angry, but not corrupt.

"In assessing the President’s actions discussed in the report, it is important to bear in mind the context," Barr said in his prepared remarks. "President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office, and sought to perform his responsibilities as President, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinizing his conduct before and after taking office, and the conduct of some of his associates. At the same time, there was relentless speculation in the news media about the President’s personal culpability."

This was an extraordinary split from traditional legal standards.

Barr sounded more like Trump's defense attorney than the American people's top constitutional defender.

Democrats in the House have demanded that Barr turn over Mueller's full, unreacted report by May 23.

“It is clear Congress and the American people must hear from Special Counsel Robert Mueller in person to better understand his findings. We are now requesting Mueller to appear before @HouseJudiciary as soon as possible,” House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) tweeted Thursday.

Likewise, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have requested that Mueller to testify as soon as possible.

“Attorney General Barr’s regrettably partisan handling of the Mueller report, including his slanted March 24th summary letter, his irresponsible testimony before Congress last week, and his indefensible plan to spin the report in a press conference later this morning — hours before he allows the public or Congress to see it — have resulted in a crisis of confidence in his independence and impartiality," Pelosi and Schumer wrote in a statement.

"We believe the only way to begin restoring public trust in the handling of the Special Counsel’s investigation is for Special Counsel Mueller himself to provide public testimony in the House and Senate as soon as possible."

More from People

Actor Jesse Eisenberg pictured at a film event — the Now You See Me star recently revealed he’s donating a kidney to a stranger, calling it his most meaningful act yet.
JB Lacroix/FilmMagic via Getty Images

Jesse Eisenberg's Kidney Gift

American playwright, filmmaker, actor, and now literal lifesaver Jesse Eisenberg is taking his holiday giving to a whole new level. The Now You See Me star revealed on the TODAY show that he’s donating one of his kidneys to a total stranger.

The man isn’t conjuring a disappearing organ act. He’s actually doing it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump; Changpeng Zhao
60 Minutes; Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images

Trump Ripped For Hypocrisy After Claiming He 'Doesn't Know' Who Crypto Founder He Just Pardoned Is

President Donald Trump was criticized after he claimed during a sit-down interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O'Donnell that he doesn't know who Binance cryptocurrency exchange founder Changpeng Zhao is despite pardoning him less than two weeks ago.

In 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to violating anti–money laundering laws after Binance allegedly failed to report suspicious transactions involving groups such as Hamas and al-Qaida. He later apologized, paid a $50 million fine, and served nearly four months in prison before being pardoned by Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Split screen of a woman with a stern reaction and a man with a shocked expression.
@vanessa_p_44/TikTok

Guy Has Priceless Reaction To Learning His Mom Named Him After 'South Park' Character—And We're Obsessed

When it comes time for parents to name their soon-to-be-born child, they often cast a wide net looking for inspiration.

Many will name their child after a beloved friend or family member, while others might choose a name from a classic film, novel, or television series.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Expertly Trolls Trump Administration With Parody Spirit Halloween Costume Memes

California Governor Gavin Newsom had social media users cackling after he, in a series of photos on X, mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with photoshopped meme versions of Spirit Halloween costumes.

Noem, who has led the nationwide immigration crackdown that continues to tear apart families around the country, is the "Border Barbie" of one meme that pokes fun at her for shooting her dog, her penchant for bringing camera crews wherever she goes, and the way South Park writers lampooned her in one of its most widely-seen episodes this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Ethan Hawke Shares Important Lesson He Learned From Robin Williams On Set Of 'Dead Poets Society'

Actor Ethan Hawke has become a Hollywood legend in his own right, but his career started with being a child actor learning from the greats, like Robin Williams.

The two co-starred in Dead Poets Society, one of the greatest films of the 1980s. It was a breakout role for Hawke and one that solidified Williams as a dramatic actor after a career mostly focused on comedy.

Keep ReadingShow less