William Barr, nominee to be US Attorney General, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC

Donald Trump‘s nominee to become attorney general has said that special counsel Robert Mueller will be allowed to complete his Russia probe as his confirmation hearing opened in Washington.

William Barr, who is facing questions from the Senate, has said he doees not believe Mr Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt and that his predecessor Jeff Sessions “did the right thing” in recusing himself from overseeing the investigation.

Mr Barr will have to navigate his confirmation hearing skillfully, emphasising his support for Mr Trump’s hardline immigration policies while assuring Democrats he will not respect mr Mueller’s independence.

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