Barr hearing zeroes in on protests

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., condemned Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday for “flooding” city streets with federal agents. In his first hearing before the committee, Barr answered questions about Russian election interference, the coronavirus, and President Donald Trump’s friend Roger Stone. But the focus remained on law enforcement at nationwide demonstrations. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, defended Barr by playing an eight-minute video of violence at protests across the country. “Remarkably, the response from many in the media and local elected offices to this organized assault has been to blame the federal government,” Barr said of riots in Portland, Ore.

What’s happening in Portland? The Wall of Moms, a group of mothers that supports the Black Lives Matter movement, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They argue the use of tear gas by federal agents violated “a foundational principle of American democracy” predicated on state and local authority.

Dig deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s analysis of the protests in Portland.