Nurfinni Oktaviani

1710007742012
Interpretive Reading

News Item Text

President Donald Trump's nominee to be US attorney general has vowed he will

not be bullied by the president.

William Barr also told his confirmation hearing the US inquiry into Russia's alleged
2016 election meddling is not a witch hunt, as Mr Trump labels it.As top US law officer, Mr
Barr would lead the Department of Justice, which is meant to be politically independent.But
Democrats asked why he wrote in a legal memo last year that an aspect of the probe was
"fatally misconceived". Mr Barr sought to assure senators on the Senate judiciary committee
in Tuesday's hearing that he is no Trump loyalist.

Democrats on the committee wanted to know if Mr Barr - who was also attorney
general under President George HW Bush - could stand up to Mr Trump."I will not be bullied
into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody whether it be editorial boards or Congress or
the president," he said."I am going to do what I think is right."He repeatedly said special
counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to complete his inquiry into whether the Trump
campaign colluded with an alleged Russian plot to influence the 2016 US presidential
election."I think the Russians interfered or attempted to interfere in the election and we have
to get to the bottom of it," he said."On my watch, Bob [Mueller] will be allowed to complete
his work," Mr Barr said of the inquiry, which has cast a cloud over the Republican president's
two years in office."I don't believe Mr Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt," he also
said in a remark that contradicts Mr Trump's own statements.The nominee also told senators
he had been a personal friend of Mr Mueller for 30 years.

(Taken from: BBC News)