Barr splutters, deflects in viral questioning by Kamala Harris

US Senators Cory Booker (L) and Kamala Harris listen as US Attorney General William Barr prepares to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on "The Justice Department's Investigation of Russian Interference with the 2016 Presidential Election" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 1,2019. less US Senators Cory Booker (L) and Kamala Harris listen as US Attorney General William Barr prepares to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on "The Justice Department's Investigation of Russian ... more Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Barr splutters, deflects in viral questioning by Kamala Harris 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

For regular viewers of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Kamala Harris' lines of questioning have become some of the most anticipated parts of such proceedings. Wednesday's testimony by Attorney General William Barr was no exception.

When asked by Harris, D-Calif., if anyone at the White House had ever suggested he open an investigation into anyone, Barr first stammered a reply.

"Uh, I wouldn't, I wouldn't —"

"Yes or no?" prompted Harris.

MORE: Mueller frustrated with Barr over portrayal of findings in report

Barr asked her to repeat the question, then decided to mince words, in a move vaguely reminiscent of Bill Clinton's famous 1998 redirection, "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

"I'm trying to grapple with the word 'suggest,'" Barr finally answered Harris. "I mean, there have been discussions of matters out there, they have not asked me to open an investigation."

"Perhaps they've suggested?" said Harris.

"I wouldn't say suggest," said Barr.

"Hinted? Inferred?"

"I don't know," said Barr.

In another much-buzzed-about portion of the questioning, Harris said that the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report had relied on a great deal of evidence, including emails, testimony and documents, which were summarized in the final report.

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"My question is, in reaching your conclusion, did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?" Harris asked of Barr's decision not to charge President Trump with obstruction of justice.

"No," answered Barr.

"Did Mr Rosenstein?"

"No," replied Barr, "We accepted the statements in the report as factually accurate."

"So you accepted the report as the evidence?"

HUGE: Senator Kamala Harris gets Barr to confess that he decided to exonerate Trump without ever even reviewing the evidence. #BarrHearing pic.twitter.com/VE5BunFdSm — HarrisBiden/BidenHarris (@VoteBidenHarris) May 1, 2019

"Yes," said Barr.

"You did not question or look at the underlying evidence that supports the conclusions in the report?" asked Harris.

"No," repeated Barr, later confirming that no one in his executive office reviewed the underlying evidence either.

Barr tried to make the argument that accepting a summary like Mueller's at face value was standard practice, but was cut off by Harris.

"I think you've made it clear, sir, that you've not looked at the evidence. We can move on," she said.

A C-SPAN clip of the exchange has since been viewed more than 50,000 times.

As usual, critics of the president were vocal in praising Harris's questioning.

"You ever watch one of them nature documentaries where a lioness takes down a two ton water buffalo?" wrote Cyrus McQueen on Twitter. "Yeah, that's pretty much what just happened when Kamala Harris questioned Barr..."

"When Kamala Harris questions you and you are desperately looking for an exit door because you can't handle the heat," Jerome Coleman tweeted, alongside a photo of Barr looking over his shoulder as Harris asked a question. "That was the most I'd seen Barr move all day when he realized he was truly in the hot seat and she was ready."

Harris wasn't impressed with Barr's preparedness, either: Shortly after noon, she took to Twitter to call on him to resign.

"What I just saw from the Attorney General is unacceptable," she wrote. "Barr must resign now."