Attorney General William Barr Compares Coronavirus Lockdowns to Slavery

Attorney General William Barr sparked outrage on social media after comparing coronavirus lockdowns to slavery during a speech at Hillsdale College's Constitution Day Event. While some attendees applauded his comments, many others called him "delusional," a "disgrace," and "completely deranged and psychotic." Barr's remarks were widely panned on Twitter, with several users pointing out that his comparison overlooked the US internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and the treatment of Native Americans.

Key Takeaways:

• Attorney General William Barr compared coronavirus lockdowns to slavery during a speech at Hillsdale College's Constitution Day Event, calling them the "greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history" since slavery.
• Barr was asked to explain the "constitutional hurdles for forbidding a church from meeting during COVID-19," and his four-minute answer sparked controversy.
• He appeared to be referring to statewide coronavirus lockdown measures that took place earlier this year, but noted that the US never imposed a nationwide lockdown mandate.
• The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on Barr's remarks.
• Several users on Twitter labeled Barr's comments "ridiculous," "absolutely outrageous," and accused him of being "delusional" and a "disgrace."
• Peter Rlle-Dahl, a reporter at Deutsche Welle News, pointed out that Barr's reference to the "intrusion on civil liberties" overlooked the US internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and the treatment of Native Americans.
• The incident sparked a conversation about the potential for impeachment, with some calling for Attorney General Barr's resignation.

Statistics:

• 85% of Americans were under some sort of public-health order at one point earlier this year (CNN)
• 15% of the country never locked down during the coronavirus pandemic (CNN)
• Cory Booker and Ted Cruz wrote a bill to limit business closures (The Wall Street Journal)
• 87% of Americans support restrictions on public gatherings during the pandemic (NBC News)

Sources:

• CNN, September 16, 2020
• Business Insider, September 17, 2020
• Tweet by Nicolas Argy, MD, JD (@NicolasArgy), September 17, 2020
• Tweet by Peter Rlle-Dahl (@MrRoelleDahl), September 17, 2020
• CNN, September 16, 2020 (quoting Attorney General William Barr's speech at Hillsdale College's Constitution Day Event)