“All fraud involves speech”: Bill Barr rips apart Trump’s “First Amendment” defense

Former Attorney General Bill Barr slammed claims that former President Donald Trump’s latest indictment for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election violates his right to free speech. During an appearance on CNN’s “The Source” Wednesday, Barr told host Kailtan Collins that while the special counsel’s case against Trump is a “legitimate” one, he believes it will have “issues of proof” and is “concerned about the slippery slope of criminalizing legitimate political activity.” But when Collins later asked if Barr had spoken to federal investigators in this case, he had less to say: “I’m not gonna get into that,” he replied before an awkward silence between him and the host ensued. 

Collins noted that Trump’s attorneys were alleging that all three of his criminal indictments constitute 2024 election interference, asking Barr if he thought their argument that Trump was just exercising his First Amendment right in the latest case was valid. “No, I really don’t think that’s a valid argument,” he responded. “As the indictment says, you know, they’re not attacking his First Amendment right. He can say whatever he wants. He can even lie. He can even tell people that the election was stolen when he knew better. But that does not protect you from entering into a conspiracy. All conspiracies involve speech, and all fraud involves speech. So, free speech doesn’t give you the right to engage in a fraudulent conspiracy.”