Donald Trump refused to say if he’s considering a pardon for his old friend and campaign confidant Roger Stone who was found guilty on seven counts in November of 2017…but he played rather coy and I think most people know that the now-lawless Trump will pardon his crooked buddy.

Trump appeared to admit that Attorney General Bill Barr intervened in the case, early Wednesday morning, after spending part of Tuesday night attacking the Department of Justice for seeking a seven to nine-year prison sentence for Stone after he was found guilty of lying to Congress and witness tampering.

Trump was asked during an Oval Office press gaggle if he was considering a pardon.

“I don’t want to say that yet but I will tell you people were hurt viciously and badly by these corrupt people and if you look at what happened I want to thank the Justice Department for seeing this horrible thing,” Trump said. “And I didn’t speak to them by the way, just so you understand. They saw the horribleness of a nine-year sentence for doing nothing. You don’t get nine years for doing something, no one can even define what he did.”

Roger Stone was convicted on seven counts. Trump just now in the Oval: "Nobody even knows what he did."

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) February 12, 2020

Trump also attacked the federal judge overseeing the Stone case, which comes amid reports that Barr is now personally intervening in cases pertaining to Trump’s allies.

Stone was the last high profile indictment of a Trump ally in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Stone was found guilty on all counts brought against him including charges of obstructing an investigation, witness tampering and lying to Congress.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Richard Blumenthal on Wednesday called for the AG to step down – a far-fetched idea since Barr is said to be in Trump’s very good graces…and for obvious reasons why.

“The president of the United States is shattering any pretense to independence and integrity on the part of the Department of Justice,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “Attorney General William Barr ought to be ashamed and embarrassed and resign as a result of this action directly interfering in the independent prosecution of Roger Stone.”

Other Democrats used harsh rhetoric to sound alarms, but their words revealed just how little they can do to restrain a newly emboldened president.

“Trump is using the powers of the presidency like a tyrant,” tweeted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Now, to reward accomplices and go after witnesses who dared to speak against him. This should concern and anger us all.”

And Trump is looking rather orange today…you can tell by just how white the area under his eyes is.

WATCH:

Trump on pardoning Roger Stone: "I don't want to say that yet." pic.twitter.com/fMbzdu1oG1

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 12, 2020