Atty. Gen. William Barr (Getty Images/Mandel Ngan/AFP)

“The real threat to human beings are microbes,” not global warming, Attorney General William Barr said Thursday, declaring tighter border security the first step in keeping deadly diseases like the coronavirus out of the U.S.

Greater public appreciation of the role border control plays in securing public health may actually be one of the “good things that can flow” from the coronavirus experience, Barr said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle”:

“I think, as horrible as this is and as tragic as it is, there are a couple of good things that can flow from this experience. And, one is to once again appreciate the importance of borders and controlling who is coming in to the country. “I’ve felt for a long time – as much as people talk about global warming – that the real threat to human beings are microbes and being able to control disease. And that starts with controlling your border. “So, I think people will be more attuned to more protective measures.”

Barr said that history will show that President Trump “made the right decisions for the right reasons” when he closed the borders – and that those decisions “saved a lot of lives”:

“Given where we were back in March, I think the president made the right decision – I think the president’s made the right decisions for the right reasons – I think, against the advice of many people, to close the borders. And, I think, when the history of this is written, that is going to have saved a lot of lives.”

Trump is also right to address the “crazy situation” created by previous administrations that made the U.S. dependent on other countries, even hostile regimes, for vital medical supplies, Barr said: