The president and his allies attacked Mr. Barr in public and private, making clear that he should retract his assessment or spend the last weeks of the administration belittled and possibly fired in humiliating fashion. Mr. Barr got to work on a face-saving exit plan, according to people familiar with his efforts. The effort succeeded in allowing Mr. Barr to leave largely on his terms. Mr. Trump heaped praise on Mr. Barr in announcing his exit, and the attorney general returned the favor, blurring the fact that he had been all but pushed out. The orchestrated farewell was a reflection of how Mr. Barr navigated his tenure running a Justice Department for a president who viewed it as hostile toward him.

Source: New York Times December 28, 2020 23:03 UTC