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Election 2020

Barr Threatens Legal Action Against Governors Over Lockdowns

Updated on
  • Businesses need ‘more freedom,’ the attorney general says
  • Trump has undercut his guidance on how states should reopen
William Barr
William Barr Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

The Justice Department will consider taking legal action against governors who continue to impose stringent rules for dealing with the coronavirus that infringe on constitutional rights even after the crisis subsides in their states, Attorney General William Barr said.

Blunt means to deal with the pandemic, such as stay-at-home orders and directives shutting down businesses, are justified up to a point, Barr said in an interview Tuesday on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” Eventually, though, states should move to more targeted measures, Barr said. He cited the approach laid out by President Donald Trump.