Attorney General William P. Barr said Wednesday that some of the government-imposed lockdown measures meant to control the spread of covid-19 were “draconian” and suggested that they should be eased next month.

In an interview with Fox News, Barr, who has long been a proponent of executive power, said the government — and in particular state officials — had broad authority to impose restrictions on people in cases of emergency. But he said the federal government would be “keeping a careful eye on” the situation and stressed that officials should be “very careful to make sure that the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified.”

“When this period of time, at the end of April, expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have, and not just tell people to go home and hide under their bed, but allow them to use other ways — social distancing and other means — to protect themselves,” Barr said.

The White House has advised people to limit the size of social gatherings and practice other social distancing measures through April.

Barr was laudatory of President Trump in the interview, and there was no indication he would legally object to the steps taken by him or state leaders so far. Barr praised in particular Trump’s deference to state officials. But his comments suggest he might harbor some wariness of state governments closing nonessential businesses and ordering people to stay at home in hopes of stemming the spread of the coronavirus.

“I am concerned that we not get into the business of declaring everything an emergency and then using these kinds of sweeping, extraordinary steps,” Barr said. “But given where we were back in March, I think the president made the right decision.”

In a portion of the interview aired later, Barr noted the economics of the shutdown could cost lives. For example, he said, cancer researchers were likely at home now, not doing their critical work.