Barr: Presenting Trump as victim after indictment is ‘ridiculous’

Former Attorney General Bill Barr said Sunday that presenting former President Trump as a victim of a "witch hunt" is "ridiculous" in reaction to the narrative presented by most in the GOP that the charges are politically motivated.

"It's a very detailed indictment. And it's very, very damning," Barr told Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday. "And this idea of presenting Trump as a victim here, a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous."

"Yes, he's been a victim in the past. Yes, his adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims, and I've been at his side defending against them when he is a victim," he added. "But this is much different. He's not a victim here."

The Justice Department charged Trump in a damning 37-count indictment last week over his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House. Evidence collected by the Justice Department revealed that the former president possessed documents containing nuclear and military secrets. The charges Trump faces hold several decades of prison time.

Barr, who was appointed by and served as an attorney general under Trump, has been critical of the former president's handling of classified documents. He said last week that the investigation was not a "witch hunt," noting that the probe would not have gone anywhere if the former president just turned over the documents.

Barr said Sunday that the government acted responsiblly in looking into Trump's handling of classified material, adding that it was Trump who "acted irresponsibly."

"He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents," he said. "Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has."