The Psychopathology of William Barr

Why does Attorney General William Barr debase himself by shielding Trump from scrutiny? Trump, of all people. Barr has an authoritarian mind. He wants to be part of an authoritarian structure. He wants it so badly, it matters not how depraved the authority is. Indeed, serving a scoundrel of such eminence may be what Barr requires to achieve inner security, self assurance, and peace.

It’s a weird psychopathology, but a common one, pervading much of the Republican Party. Neuropsychologists would perform a great service to the world if they could unmask its workings. I’d advise them not to start with Barr, however, whose cognitive workings might present them with daunting complexities, but to first investigate Vice President Mike Pence, the archetypal simple-minded case.