Attorney General William Barr will testify before the House Judiciary Committee today and judging by his opening statement he’ll come out swinging. Barr will hone in on two major topics: the thoroughly debunked Russia-collusion hoax and the illegitimate anti-law enforcement narrative currently being used to incite and justify the wave of violence and rioting roiling several major U.S. cities.

Regarding the collusion hoax, Barr is brief but pointed as he deftly defends himself against the Democrats’ spurious allegations that he is a stooge of President Donald Trump. “Ever since I made it clear that I was going to do everything I could to get to the bottom of the grave abuses involved in the bogus ‘Russiagate’ scandal, many of the Democrats on this Committee have attempted to discredit me by conjuring up a narrative that I am simply the President’s factotum who disposes of criminal cases according to his instructions,” Barr icily observes. He insists Trump has not ever “attempted to interfere in” the AG’s decisions. “On the contrary,” Barr says, “he has told me from the start that he expects me to exercise my independent judgment to make whatever call I think is right. That is precisely what I have done.”

Turning to the leftist rioting and violence that erupted following the unjust death of George Floyd, Barr acknowledges that the history of negative experiences of many black Americans has fed their negative perception of law enforcement. However, he argues that signifiant strides have been accomplished since the Civil Rights movement. Barr asserts that blaming the problem on “systemically racist” police departments is an “oversimplification” that unjustly stereotypes and vilifies America’s increasingly racially diverse law enforcement.

Barr doesn’t back down from the hard truth, noting, “The leading cause of death for young black males is homicide. Every year approximately 7,500 black Americans are victims of homicide, and the vast majority of them — around 90 percent — are killed by other blacks. … Each of those lives matter.” He then points out the irony that the push for defunding the police in these urban communities, which Democrats have been calling for, will result in greater suffering for black lives.

He also attacks the Leftmedia’s and Democrats’ oft-repeated fallacious notion of “peaceful protesters,” writing, “To state what should be obvious, peaceful protesters do not throw explosives into federal courthouses, tear down plywood with crowbars, or launch fecal matter at federal officers. Such acts are in fact federal crimes under statutes enacted by this Congress.”

In a clear rebuke aimed directly at the Democrats, Barr states, “As elected officials of the federal government, every Member of this Committee — regardless of your political views or your feelings about the Trump Administration — should condemn violence against federal officers and destruction of federal property. So should state and local leaders who have a responsibility to keep their communities safe. To tacitly condone destruction and anarchy is to abandon the basic rule-of-law principles that should unite us even in a politically divisive time. At the very least, we should all be able to agree that there is no place in this country for armed mobs that seek to establish autonomous zones beyond government control, or tear down statues and monuments that law-abiding communities chose to erect, or to destroy the property and livelihoods of innocent business owners. The most basic responsibility of government is to ensure the rule of law, so that people can live their lives safely and without fear. The Justice Department will continue working to meet that solemn responsibility.”

This is just Barr’s opening statement. We expect a lot more fireworks throughout the hearing.