Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the Post claimed in a Wednesday article that Trump requested Barr, the head of the US Department of Justice, back him up amid the ongoing impeachment inquiry concerning his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the paper’s sources, Barr refused to do so.
Aside from Trump’s series of tweets proclaiming his innocence, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley also issued a statement slamming the “shady” Post article: “The President has nothing but respect for AG Barr and greatly appreciates the work he’s done on behalf of the country – and no amount of shady sources with clear intent to divide, smear, and slander will change that.”