US President Donald Trump nominated Barr after he asked then-US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign in November. Sessions' Chief of Staff Matthew Whitaker has been serving as acting US Attorney General since then.
Trump has said Barr was his number one choice for this position because he is more than qualified for this role. Trump has also expressed confidence Barr would lead the Department of Justice with distinction and predicted his pick would be supported by members of both parties.
READ MORE: ‘Big Pusher of Punitive Laws’: AG Nominee Barr Attends Confirmation Hearing
The US president has repeatedly criticized former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he recused himself from the Russiagate and all matters related to it, amid allegations that the Trump campaign team had contacts with top Russian officials during the 2016 presidential race.
During his confirmation hearing in January at the US Senate Judiciary Committee, William Barr said that Jeff Sessions made the right decision to recuse himself from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of Trump-Russia collusion, adding that he would share as much information as possible on the matter consistent while abiding by existing rules and laws.
Barr had served as US Attorney General during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. from 1991 to 1993.
WATCH: Ex-CIA Chief Who Pushed Russiagate Probe Backs Off Collusion Theory
