***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
A few minutes later, when then shifted gears to discuss the violent riots across the country, Blitzer appeared almost skeptical that Antifa even existed, pressing Barr on how many had been arrested:
BLITZER: I know that you and the president have claimed Antifa, a far left group here in the United States for stirring up the violence in some of these cities. And I know you've set up a task force at the Justice Department to look into this. If Antifa is really behind what we've seen some of the looting, some of the burning, some of the violence, why haven't there been any major arrests made of Antifa?
BARR: Well, there have been 300 arrests made across the country.
BLITZER: But apparently not --
BARR: Being a member of Antifa -- Antifa is a movement, as I’ve made clear. Okay? There's not a group necessarily that is called Antifa and membership in a group does not necessarily mean you've committed a crime. The elements of a crime are things like throwing a Molotov cocktail.
BLITZER: But have any Antifa-related individuals been arrested?
BARR: Yes.
BLITZER: How many?
BARR: I couldn’t tell you that.
BLITZER: Because, based on the evidence we've seen, there aren’t many at all as far as Antifa directly related individuals.
BARR: Some self-identify them as Antifa. Some refuse to provide even their identity when they're arrested. I've talked to every police chief in every city where there's been major violence, and they all have identified Antifa as the ramrod for the violence.
The AG explained to his host that the Justice Department was tracking individuals associated with Antifa and were monitoring what they were buying as they traveled across the country to take part in riots. And he seemed almost dumbfounded when Blitzer asked, in all seriousness, “Is that illegal? Is that illegal what they're doing?”
“Crossing state lines to engage in rioting is,” Barr informed him. “A federal offense.” He even gave credence to Trump’s recent claims that there were flights loaded with Antifa which flew to Washington, D.C. and other cities to cause destruction and violence.
(...)