Behind the scenes: In one such discussion last year about the need to reauthorize government authorities to surveil U.S. citizens, Trump went so far as to say he'd rather get rid of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) altogether.

Barr had argued it was necessary, for national security reasons, to reauthorize the current surveillance laws without any changes.

Trump responded, "I trust you, Bill, but if it was up to me, we'd get rid of the whole thing," per a source familiar with the conversation. Trump was especially exercised about the process that the FBI used to wiretap his former campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

Why it matters: Key measures in FISA — including the business records provision, Section 215 — are set to expire on March 15.

Between the lines: Trump's discussions came several months before the Justice Department Inspector General released a scathing report about the abuses of the FISA process involved in the surveillance of Page.