Barr: Trump got "madder and madder" when rebuffed on election fraud claims

[florida80]

3/.8

hen former President Donald Trump summoned then U.S. Attorney General William Barr in early December, he says he knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant meeting and thought Trump was going to fire him.

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© Credit: CBSNews
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"I told my assistant as I left the office she may have to pack up for me because often he would tell you not to come back," Barr told "CBS Mornings."

When he entered the Oval Office, Barr said the conversation quickly turned into a back and forth between Barr and Trump about the former president's allegations of widespread fraud.

During that conversation, Barr said Trump got "madder and madder" so Barr said that he could resign if Trump was not happy about his work.

"I said, 'look, Mr. President, I know you're unhappy with me. I'm happy to tender my resignation.' Boom, he hit the desk, and said, accepted," Barr recalled. "As I was pulling out of the White House, two of his lawyers came and pounded on the window, government lawyers, and said, 'The president doesn't want you to leave.'"

This is just one of several events that Barr details in his new book, "One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General," which went on sale on Tuesday.

Barr said after that encounter, he reluctantly stayed although he knew his relationship with Trump had deteriorated.

"I didn't leave then because I wanted to see how this was playing out and I thought I could continue to look at these claims and make sure that people understood that most of, well, what was being presented simply wasn't true," he said.

When asked if he would vote for Trump if runs for office in 2024, Barr said he would support the Republican candidate even if it is Trump.

"I would not work with him, if I was faced with that choice," he said. "I hope I'm not faced with that choice. I don't think the party will go back in that direction."

Barr's resignation was official in December 2020. He has not spoken to Trump since then and said he wouldn't particularly want to have another conversation.

"You don't have a conversation [with him]. You mostly listen," he said.