An Exclusive Interview with Former AG Loretta Lynch

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Your successor, Attorney General Barr, said in June, I think there is racism in the United States still, but I don’t think that the law enforcement system is systemically racist. Well, clearly this is a huge focus, certainly in the Black Lives Matter Movement and just the ability to try to make the criminal justice system fair. What is your reaction to that statement from the attorney general?

LORETTA LYNCH, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Yes. You know, I did see that statement, and I think that it’s very typical of individuals who, because their life has been one — has had a different path than many other people, they have not had to experience racism, they have not had to deal with systemic racism, they’re not able to see it. And, honestly, on a personal matter, that would be fine. But when you are the attorney general of the United States, when you are the leader of the Department of Justice, the only cabinet agency named for an ideal, an a deal that is about equality, that is about recognizing that everybody in this country does not have the same experience, I think it’s — honestly, it’s tremendously sad and some missed opportunity by the attorney general to truly understand the people whom he is supposed to, and sworn, to protect. So, honestly, I was quite disappointed to hear that statement coming from him. Because when you sit in that chair, one of the things you learn early on is that you have to take into account the experiences of all of the people in this great country. And the reality is, all of them do not experience justice in the same way that Attorney General Barr did growing up where he did and how he did. There are a number of people in this country. There are scores of people, even millions of people in this country for whom justice has not been about pushing them forward. It has been about holding them back. And that’s what the law has meant to them. What I do find heartening, however, Christiane, is the unrest that we’ve seen over the past few months. Not the violence, let me be clear. The violence that we’ve seen that accompanies many of these peaceful protests is not helpful. It does not advance the message of equality, and, in fact, it gives people further ammunition to push people back and keep them apart. But when people come together and share their lived experience and talk about how in this country, as great as it is, the justice system still is not serving them, that’s an important message and it has to be heard.