Barr defends Trump before release of special counsel's Russia report

Attorney General William Barr on Thursday offered a spirited defense of President Donald Trump ahead of the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia’s role in the 2016 U.S. election, emphasizing that it found no collusion between Trump’s campaign and Moscow.

Barr, the top U.S. law enforcement official and a Trump appointee, gave a news conference at the Justice Department as he sought to shape the narrative on a watershed day in Trump’s tumultuous presidency.

“President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office and sought...