Attorney General nominee William Barr is breaking sharply with the man who nominated him, President Donald Trump, on several issues near and dear to the commander-in-chief’s heart.

During questioning from new Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) as part of his confirmation proceedings Tuesday morning, Barr was asked about special counsel Robert Mueller. The attorney general nominee’s views differ quite a bit from those of his boss.

Saying he is “good friends” with Mueller, Barr answered affirmatively when asked if he believes Mueller is fair-minded, and will be fair to the president. Graham followed up by asking if Barr thinks Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt — the label which Trump has repeatedly applied to the special counsel probe.

“I don’t believe Mr. Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,” Barr said.

The nominee went on to say that Jeff Sessions, the man who previously held the post for which Barr is being considered, acted properly with regard to the Mueller probe into Trump’s campaign by stepping away.

“I’m not sure of all the facts,” Barr said. “But I think he probably did the right thing recusing himself.”

Sessions became a main target of the president’s ire during his tenure as attorney general. Trump repeatedly berated him — in public and private — for recusing himself from overseeing the Mueller investigation, which he did given his job on the Trump campaign.

Watch above, via CNN.

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