Trump fires FBI Director James Comey

[Rogue 9]

NPR

President Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey

May 9, 20175:56 PM ET
Jessica Taylor

The White House has fired FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections and possible ties to the Trump campaign and top aides.

"Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office. President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement.

"The FBI is one of our Nation's most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement," the president said in the statement.

Copies of the documents related to Director Comey's dismissal are at the link. Now we just wait for the other shoe to drop.

[Iroscato]

Oh shit.

...

Now what happens? O-o

[Mr Bean]

Copies of the documents related to Director Comey's dismissal are at the link. Now we just wait for the other shoe to drop.

I wasted ten minutes following up the rumors on Governor Chris Christie being named to take his place.

So far that rumor is untrue but it makes way to much sense

[MKSheppard]

James Mattis was wrongly assigned the callsign CHAOS, it seems.

[Knife]

Politically fascinating and so many angles.

Some happy for what he did to Clinton, some worried now the investigation into Russia and Trump will die. What utter moron will he put into the FBI. Will the Senate GOP go along with it since they changed the rules for appointments, no fillibuster by Dems. Will Comey loyal FBI peeps leak shit, what will they leak?

It honestly makes more a mess than it solves firing him. I have no love for the man and won't cry for him. But it sure does stir up a hornets nest. The bad taste of political motives will swirl around this bad.

[Flagg]

Oh shit.

...

Now what happens? O-o

In a just world? Congressional investigations into what part Cummy played in the election kneecapping, and federal charges of perjury.

In the real world? No congressional investigation with the intent of actually finding out what took place regarding Cummy going all Tanya Harding on Hillary and if charged with perjury a preemptive Presidential pardon after he (if he's made to) testify before congress so he can take the 5th and before any perjury trial gets underway.

[Flagg]

My hope is that there was a quid pro quo between Cummy and the Donnie Douchebag camp along the lines of "sabotage Clinton, stay head of the FBI" and that since President Pussygrabber just essentially shitcanned him, Cummy starts talking.

[Knife]

I don't see Trump pardoning him. Trump is such a narcissist that the biggest crime against him is disloyalty.

[Terralthra]

This is bananas. He was ostensibly fired for activities that directly led to Mr. Trump being elected President. Why wasn't he fired on day 1? Why now? Obviously the letter is a smokescreen, and we can only hope Mr. Comey starts talking, and soon, and hopefully he will still appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as scheduled.

Mr. Trump's signed dismissal letter is even more bananas. He literally thanks Mr. Comey for saying something Mr. Comey didn't say, purely for propaganda purposes.

This is Nixonian in scale.

[Raj Ahten]

As usual with Trump this action marks either extreme incompetence or sinister motives (maybe both at once!) On the incompetence front Trump maybe figures he's still on reality tv and thinks that by firing Comey over Clinton's emails he'll build goodwill or some shit. Or just showing he's in charge the only way he knows how which is throwing someone under a bus publicly. On the sinister end it's a purge of an official not 100 percent loyal to Trump done as part of a cover up or just to send a message so everyone else does whatever the president wants without question. No matter the case I'm sure congressional republicans will be falling all over themselves to justify this tomorrow even though they were defending Comey over the very thing he was fired for yesterday. The hypocrisy involved makes me want to puke.

[MKSheppard]

BEST SHOW ON EARTH. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

[Iroscato]

BEST SHOW ON EARTH. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

I suppose consistently horrified + fascinated is a type of entertained.

[Flagg]

I don't see Trump pardoning him. Trump is such a narcissist that the biggest crime against him is disloyalty.

True, sometimes I drift into forgetting (for my own sanity) that tens of millions of shiteating fuckwits voted for a manchild who does things based solely on whatever his whim is at a particular moment and whether or not a walking vagina (what we call "women") looks enough like his daughter to make his micro-penis dribble.

[Flagg]

This is bananas. He was ostensibly fired for activities that directly led to Mr. Trump being elected President. Why wasn't he fired on day 1? Why now? Obviously the letter is a smokescreen, and we can only hope Mr. Comey starts talking, and soon, and hopefully he will still appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as scheduled.

Mr. Trump's signed dismissal letter is even more bananas. He literally thanks Mr. Comey for saying something Mr. Comey didn't say, purely for propaganda purposes.

This is Nixonian in scale.

Cummy will plead the 5th before the GOP Led Senate Intelligence Committee Pretend Investigation. Assuming the Committee doesn't decide he no longer needs to testify on the basis that he no longer holds the position as head of the FBI.

We live in the Twilight Zone.

[Flagg]

BEST SHOW ON EARTH. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

If President Pussygrabber and Big Jim Cummy engaged in mortal combat with flamethrower s in would be.

[The Romulan Republic]

As much as I dislike Comey's handling of the Clinton email case (though I will refrain from speculating as to his motive), and as much as I think Obama probably ought to have demanded his resignation for that, this is very clearly a blatant attempt by Trump to purge someone who is investigating his administration for not toeing the party line. And we move one step closer to dictator territory. I worry that if a true Trump stooge (which for all his faults, I don't think Comey is) gets approved by Congress, the investigation (through official, legal channels, at any rate- I expect the leaks will continue) will be dead.

Congress should block any attempt to replace Comey with a Trump loyalist, and step up the investigation. But I am not convinced that their are sufficient Democrats with spines, and sufficient Republicans with souls, to do either.

[The Jester]

Almost certainly a move of desperation. Without the ability to tap out in this sort of game, your only choice is to make crazy moves and wish for an act of God.

Still we've witnessed politicians in western democracies get away with all sorts of blatantly egregious acts during the life of this board.

[Raj Ahten]

Still we've witnessed politicians in western democracies get away with all sorts of blatantly egregious acts during the life of this board.

Seems about right. Congressional Republicans are in Trump's pocket. My money is that Trump gets strong support for whatever his reasoning of the day is on this and everything else and walks away from this stronger than ever because he'll have normalized purges no matter what the circumstances.

[Raj Ahten]

Sorry for double post but another thought came to me.

The only real hope for any republicans in congress doing an about face on Trump is them seeing how much of a rabid dog the president has become here. He's thrown so many former allies (Christie, Flynn and now Comey) under the bus people got to start wondering if he can ever be trusted not to do the same to them. Just days ago Republicans in congress were throwing as much shade as possible Comey's way. They probably thought they had the crisis under control and their favored man would survive democratic whining no problem. Then the president comes in and fucks everything up. You got to think patience has to run out eventually. Problem is I fear a certain large percentage see an authoritarian style of rule as a good thing.

[The Jester]

Still we've witnessed politicians in western democracies get away with all sorts of blatantly egregious acts during the life of this board.

Seems about right. Congressional Republicans are in Trump's pocket. My money is that Trump gets strong support for whatever his reasoning of the day is on this and everything else and walks away from this stronger than ever because he'll have normalized purges no matter what the circumstances.

While possible, there would be a political price to pay for that. There's bound to be a number of Congressmen shitting themselves right now. Remember when Chaffetz announced he wouldn't run for reelection and is considering ending his term early?

[Simon_Jester]

Remind me why Chaffetz would be vulnerable above and beyond the common run of Republican congressmen?

All I really know about him is that Howard Taylor of Schlock Mercenary despises him, which is good enough for me but might not be for others.

[The Jester]

I don't think he's more vulnerable--just as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform he'd have better visibility on the size of the shit that's about to hit the fan.

[Tribble]

I think a big chunk of the Republican party are very happy to let Trump set the precedents that they'll later use. And another good chunk don't care what he does since at least he's not one of them Democrats. Odds of him being charged aren't good.

[The Jester]

We're probably talking about the work of dozens of FBI investigators here. If some serious shit went down, they're going to be fucking pissed about having all their hard work swept under the rug in the name of politics. Someone is bound to leak if they haven't already taken action after seeing the breaking news report.

[Raj Ahten]

We're probably talking about the work of dozens of FBI investigators here. If some serious shit went down, they're going to be fucking pissed about having all their hard work swept under the rug in the name of politics. Someone is bound to leak if they haven't already taken action after seeing the breaking news report.

And then what? Another negative news story about Trump? If congress doesn't want to do anything and Trump's pet AG stays compliant precisely fuck all results. Trump calls it fake news and moves on to the next outrage.