Barr Dodges When Pressed on Far-Right Extremism at Protests: ‘I Am Not Going to Get Too Specific’

Attorney General William Barr on Thursday notably declined to specifically identify far-right extremist actors involved in agitating violence during the George Floyd protests, only name-checking the far-left antifa movement. 

After Barr announced at a press conference that he’s seen evidence that “antifa and other similar extremist groups” have instigated violence, a reporter pressed the attorney general on the recent arrests of three men connected to the far-right “Boogaloo” group for plotting to incite violence at a Las Vegas protest. “Is it important in your remarks and thoughts to point out all of the different groups that are involved in this type of violent activity?” Barr was asked.

The attorney general dodged the question, saying he “specifically” added the phrase “actors of a variety of different political persuasions” in his statement. “I did make that point,” he continued. “I am not going to get too specific.”

He would go on to say they were dealing with a “witch’s brew of organizations” and that “some are antifa-related” and that there are some “people posing as members of different groups,” adding that they “have to dig deeper to determine what exactly is going on.”