Why the Barr hearing was a 'gob-smacking spectacle'; Plus Hillary Clinton on the path forward for Democrats

In his first public testimony since the release of the Mueller report, Attorney General William Barr attempted to defend himself as Democrats pressed him [View in browser]( [Image](  MAY 1, 2019 Today, according to Rachel Maddow, [was a "gob-smacking spectacle."](  In his [first public testimony]( since the release of the Mueller report, Attorney General William Barr attempted to defend himself as Democrats pressed him about [the letter Mueller sent him]( saying the attorney general's four-page description of the special counsel's conclusions had caused public confusion and did not fully capture his report’s “context, nature and substance.” Late Wednesday after his Senate testimony concluded, Barr [decided not to testify]( before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Nadler responded, says that Barr is “terrified of having to face a skilled attorney,” referring to lawyers for committee Democrats. "I can understand why he's afraid of facing more effective examination." [Image](  Some key moments to watch:  - Sen. Kamala Harris, [in a blistering round of questioning](, grills AG Barr on whether he reviewed the Mueller report's underlying evidence and whether it was appropriate for him to consult with Deputy AG Rosenstein about a charging decision, as Rosenstein was also a witness in the investigation. - AG Barr told Congress that he “[did not exonerate](” President Trump. - Sen. Amy Klobuchar said that the White House made an effort to stop bipartisan legislation she was spearheading to [secure elections from foreign interference.]( - Sen. Maize Hirono told AG Barr, to his face, that he should resign and that "the American people know that you are [no different from Rudy Giuliani or Kellyanne Conway]( or any of the other people who sacrificed their once-decent reputation." - Sen. Patrick Leahy confronted AG Barr over what Leahy called "[purposefully misleading](" prior testimony about Mueller’s report. ICYMI: Videos from MSNBC Today [Image]( [Clinton: Don't let Barr distract from focus on Mueller findingsÂ]( Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talks with Rachel Maddow about the importance of Americans keeping focused on the themes and findings in the Mueller report amid the antics and obfuscation that William Barr has brought to the Special Counsel process. (Rachel Maddow Show) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image](  [Emails: DHS had no way to link separated families]( On the same day the Trump admin. said it would reunite thousands of migrant families it had separated at the border with the help of a "central database," an official was admitting privately the government only had enough information to reconnect 60 parents with their kids, according to emails obtained by NBC News. (All In with Chris Hayes) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image](  [Sen. Harris shows off prosecutorial prowess, puts AG Barr on his heelsÂ]( Sen. Kamala Harris, in a blistering round of questioning during AG Barr's testimony for Senate Judiciary Committee, grills the attorney general on whether he reviewed the Mueller report's underlying evidence and whether it was appropriate for him to consult with Deputy AG Rosenstein, who was also a witness in the investigation. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( More Videos  - [AG Barr cancels testimony in front of House Judiciary Cmte. (Hardball with Chris Matthews)]( - [Katyal: America is a lot stronger than Barr and Trump (The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell)]( - [Clinton: 'I'm living rent free inside of Donald Trump's brain' (Rachel Maddow)]( - [AG Barr gives a full-throated defense of Trump in Senate testimony (The 11th Hour with Brian Williams)]( - [Sen. Gillibrand wants to give every voter up to $600 in 'Democracy Dollars' (All In with Chris Hayes)](  - [Nicolle Wallace on watching Barr's testimony: 'In the moment it was agitation, in the end it's despair' (MSNBC Live with Nicolle Wallace and Brian Williams)]( - [Lawrence's Last Word: Kellyanne Conway breaks the law again (The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell)]( [Latest from NBC News]( Quote of the Day [“The letter is a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people.”]( — William Barr, Attorney General of the United States, on on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's letter to him expressing concerns about Barr's summary ([video]() Analysis [Barr and Mueller, longtime friends, have different views of the Russia investigation](. Attorney General William Barr and special counsel Robert Mueller have been friends for three decades, and their families have long socialized together. After the events of recent weeks, culminating in Barr's contentious appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday, it's fair to wonder whether that remains the case. [by Ken Dilanian](.  [Joe Biden couldn't be off to a better start. Can anyone slow him down?]( The former vice president's unexpected early strength may spell trouble for his Democratic rivals. [By Jonathan Allen](. What's coming up Thursday The House Judiciary committee still intends to hold a hearing Thursday with the hope that Barr will reconsider. Rep. Nadler said the panel would "start a process" to compel Barr to testify.  MSNBC will bring you the latest.  Sen. Kamala Harris will join Morning Joe Thursday morning. This newsletter was prepped for you by Stephanie Haberman, Wyatt Mayes, and intern Natasha Roy (on her 21st birthday). Like our new format? Did you watch today's hearing? Tell us what you think and [drop us an e-mail](mailto:msnbc.digital.editors@nbcuni.com). MSNBC’s [newest original podcast with Chuck Rosenberg]( is a series of revealing one-on-one conversations with thoughtful former American public officials from the highest levels of government. [Check out the newest episodes with James Comey and Preet Bharara.]( [Image: The Oath podcast with Chuck Rosenberg](  Follow MSNBC [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [LinkedIn]( Download the NBC News Mobile App and watch MSNBC [Image] [Image] [Privacy]( [Unsubscribe](listvar=sub_daily)