Barr Comments On Letter Being Released
Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr sharply criticized the Biden-Harris Department of Justice on Monday for releasing a highly inflammatory letter written by Ryan Routh, a man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Barr accused the DOJ of recklessly fueling incitement by making the letter public, particularly at a time when Trump has already faced multiple threats to his life during the ongoing election cycle.
The letter, discovered in a box of personal items Routh had left with an acquaintance, contained a chilling confession. Routh wrote, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” followed by an ominous call to action: “It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.” Prosecutors presented the letter as evidence to keep Routh detained, and the judge denied him bond on Monday.
Barr expressed shock and disappointment that the DOJ would release such an incendiary letter without redacting its contents or submitting it under seal. "I was dumbfounded that the DOJ made public this morning the contents of the letter,” Barr said in a statement.
He emphasized that the letter not only calls for Trump’s assassination but also encourages others to step in and "finish the job," all while offering a significant monetary reward. "There was no apparent justification for releasing this information at this stage," Barr added, asserting that the DOJ had ample evidence to argue for Routh’s pretrial detention without having to reveal the letter.
The former attorney general pointed out that by failing to redact or withhold the letter, the DOJ was playing with fire. "It was rash to put out this letter in the midst of an election during which two attempts on the life of President Trump had been made,” Barr stated, warning that the letter’s release could further incite violence against Trump as the 2024 election intensifies.
Barr argued that the DOJ’s decision to release the letter served no legitimate purpose and posed a dangerous risk of sparking additional violence. "Even if DOJ thought it important to provide the letter to the court, it could have redacted inflammatory material or arranged to have the letter submitted under seal,” Barr said. “It served no purpose other than to risk inciting further violence.”
Routh, who had a criminal history preventing him from legally owning firearms, had previously made political donations to Democratic candidates through ActBlue, a major fundraising platform for the Democratic Party.
Records show that between 2019 and 2020, while living in Hawaii, Routh made small-dollar contributions to Democratic presidential hopefuls Beto O'Rourke, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard, and Elizabeth Warren. While these donations alone don't paint a full picture of his motivations, they have nonetheless drawn attention in the aftermath of his failed assassination attempt.