Trump asks Barr to investigate the Bidens over alleged Ukrainian dealings [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• In a phone call interview with Fox & Friends morning show on Tuesday, President Donald Trump asked Attorney General William Barr “to act” on the alleged corrupt dealings of Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine.
• The allegation was published by the New York Post, which reported that emails were retrieved in Hunter’s laptop obtained by Trump’s adviser, Rudy Giuliani.
• Trump’s call to prosecute Biden gained criticisms as former prosecutor Elie Honig described it as “an abuse of power.”

During a call with the Fox & Friends morning show on Tuesday, President Donald Trump asked attorney general William Barr “to act” and designate a special prosecutor to investigate presidential rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter ahead of the November 3rd election.

The New York Post published an article about Hunter’s abandoned laptop which contained emails on the alleged Ukraine dealings. The information was obtained by Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney.

The story revolves around an alleged corruption by the Bidens in connection with a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter previously worked. Other news outlets have not verified the details as social media platforms put some restrictions on their veracity.

Reportedly, Fox News disregarded the story when it made buzz earlier this month given its skeptical origin. The outlet, now though, quickly decided to talk about the issue.

The New York Times on Monday dissented Fox’s abrupt publication of the alleged Biden-Ukraine controversy. One anonymous source, who was once a Post staffer, told the Guardian: “This reeks.”

Fox News, though, did not have any act of contrition as it widely aired the accusation on Tuesday. During the 45-minute interview, the Fox & Friends host continuously asked the president on the claim.

Trump was asked if he would “appoint a special prosecutor” to investigate the matter, as well as “any corresponding legal or ethical issues that might be uncovered from the former vice-president’s 47 years in public office”.

“We’ve got to get the attorney general to act. He’s got to act, and he’s got to act fast. He’s got to appoint somebody, this is major corruption, and this has to be known about before the election,” the president responded.

As the hosts pressed on the issue, Trump called Biden’s statement of being unaware of Hunter’s business transactions a “disgrace.”

A former federal prosecutor, Elie Honig called Trump’s move to put his political opponents on trial as an “abuse of power.”

“Imagine if George W Bush publicly called on John Ashcroft to investigate and potentially indict John Kerry’s children in October 2004,” Honig wrote on his Twitter, “or if Barack Obama pressed Eric Holder to open a case against Mitt Romney’s family in October 2012.”

According to a non-profit government reform group called Stand Up Republic, Trump’s new request to Barr marked how dangerous it could get when making allegiance to him.

“Trump attacking Barr should be a warning to every Republican: the compromises you make to your ethics and principles will never be enough,” the group said. 

Source: The Guardian