Manchin To Vote 'Yes' On Trump's Attorney General Nominee | Politico

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin will vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, William Barr, his spokesperson told POLITICO Tuesday.

Manchin is the second Democratic senator to say he will vote for Barr. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama said last week he too will vote in favor of the president’s attorney general nominee.

The West Virginian’s vote for Barr isn’t all that surprising. He has broken with his party before on the president’s nominees, voting in favor of Barr’s predecessor Attorney General Jeff Sessions as well as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 

Barr came under fire from Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing over how he’d handle special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

Democrats voiced particular concern about whether Barr would make a final report on the results of the investigation public. They also blasted Barr for a memo he wrote last year to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that described the Mueller investigation as “fatally misconceived.”

The Senate plans to move forward on Barr’s nomination this afternoon and a final vote is expected later this week. Barr is expected to be confirmed.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said Monday he would vote against him.

Trump nominated Barr in December to replace Sessions, with whom he became frustrated with after he recused himself from the Russia investigation. If confirmed, this would be Barr’s second stint as attorney general. He was also attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.

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