Trump Snatches Final Shred of William Barr’s Dignity

Jonathan Chait: “Having apparently learned that former attorney general William Barr has endorsed his candidacy, after having previously described him as childlike and unfit for office, Donald Trump accepted Barr’s submission with characteristic grace. For Trump, this meant a social-media post ridiculing Barr.”

“If the insult is too wry for you, allow me to translate: Trump is calling Barr fat. And, of course, Barr is rather hefty. So, too, is Trump. But one of the rules of bullying is that the bully does not need to follow the same standards as his targets.”

“It may seem bizarre that Trump feels compelled to gratuitously insult a man who has just endorsed him. But it is fully consistent with the method Trump uses to dominate his subordinates. Barr wished to escape his relationship with Trump with at least some tiny scrap of dignity. For Trump, it is important not to allow this to occur.”