William Barr's latest moves on Trump's behalf are extraordinary.

They again confirm that only one of the candidates is a lawless extremist. And it isn't Joe Biden.

But Barr and Trump are operating from a genuine worldview. I tried to engage it here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/03/only-one-candidate-is-lawless-extremist-he-has-william-barrs-help/

This new Trump effort to deny funding to "anarchist" cities is based on the idea that officials are *deliberately* allowing violence.

That's disgusting: Officials are balancing competing imperatives. But the Barr/Trump worldview doesn't permit for this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/03/only-one-candidate-is-lawless-extremist-he-has-william-barrs-help/

Both Trump and William Barr have delivered major speeches declaring open war on the left.

By painting the leftist enemy as an existential threat, they lay the groundwork to justify extraordinary and extralegal means of their own to crush that enemy:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/03/only-one-candidate-is-lawless-extremist-he-has-william-barrs-help/

William Barr is operating in a tradition of anti-liberalism. This glorifies the strongman executive, unfettered at times of crisis.

In Barr's case, the crisis is largely invented to justify Trump's lawlessness.

Relying on @lkatfield and @ProfessorShaw:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/03/only-one-candidate-is-lawless-extremist-he-has-william-barrs-help/