Trump tweets pressure Justice Department

(NBC News) President Trump continued to tweet and retweet about the Justice Department Wednesday, against the wishes of Attorney General William Barr.

The president shared comments from conservative allies that Barr should “clean house,” targeting those involved in the Russia investigation.

It comes as the White House tries to tamp down reports that Barr considered resigning over some of the president’s past tweets.

The president also raised eyebrows when he claimed a title that belongs to Barr, naming himself “the chief law enforcement officer of the country.”

That comment came as part of his explanation for pardoning and commuting the sentences of 11 people, including former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, freed after serving eight years for corruption.

The move is raising questions about whether President Trump may pardon his longtime friend Roger Stone, who faces sentencing thursday for lying to Congress and obstructing the Russia investigation.

Stone’s sentencing was the catalyst for Barr publicly chastising the president, saying his tweets on the matter were making his job “impossible.”

Some question whether the attorney general is just trying to save face within the Justice Department.

“I think it’s much more his concern about stopping that internal revolt than a real opposition to what the president is doing,” says former Department of Justice spokesman Matt Miller.

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