Attorney General Barr supports Trump's claim that 'thugs' boarded plane to disrupt RNC

'There were many on planes. We've received multiple reports,' AG claims in combative CNN interview

Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday supported a claim made by Donald Trump that "thugs" crowded a plane headed for Washington to disrupt the Republican National Committee, saying the Justice Department received "numerous reports" to that end.

During a wide-ranging interview on CNN, Mr Barr passionately warned that state officials planning to mail out ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic are "playing with fire" and denied there is systemic racism either in the United States or its police forces. He aslo denied feeling political pressure from the president to shape DOJ investigations to help his political interests.

"There were many on planes. We've received multiple reports," Mr Barr said during a contentious interview on CNN.

The AG was defending Mr Trump, who made this claim during a Monday night interview on Fox News: "We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that."

The host, Fox News's Laura Ingraham, asked: "Where?"

The president replied: "I'll tell you sometime. It's under investigation right now. But they came from a certain city. And this person was coming to the Republican National Convention. And there were like seven people on the plane like this person, and then a lot of people on the plane, to do big damage."

Then the host shot back: "Coming for Washington."

The president replied: "Yeah, this is all happening."

Mr Trump later said the plane was actually leaving Washington.