Washington (CNN) Democratic senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she has concerns about the integrity of the US government following her questioning of Attorney General Bill Barr at a hearing on Wednesday.

"One of the things that is very much at play and very present at this moment in time in our country is a concern about whether or not our democracy is intact, whether it can be trusted, whether the leaders in our democracy can be trusted," Harris said Wednesday on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

Harris' comments came hours after the conclusion of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Barr, where the newly minted attorney general defended his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe and his decision not to accuse President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice.

Harris, who is running as a progressive prosecutor, has repeatedly created viral moments as she has questioned Trump nominees and Cabinet members in congressional hearings over the past few years. She has used her sharp, direct questions to illustrate her toughness -- and implicitly her ability to take on President Donald Trump in future debates -- and those skills have set her apart from other candidates in the 2020 field.

During the hearing, Barr was unable to tell Harris whether anyone at the White House had suggested he open an investigation of anyone, asking her to specify whether she was referring to the President or anyone else.

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