Who can sincerely believe that President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey for any reason other than to thwart an investigation of serious crimes?
This Is Not a Drill
The firing of FBI director James Comey poses a question: Will the law answer to the president, or the president to the law?
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/this-is-not-a-drill/526056/
Who can sincerely believe that President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey for any reason other than to thwart an investigation of serious crimes? Which crimes—and how serious—we can only guess.
The suggestion that Comey was fired to punish him for overzealously mishandling the Clinton email investigation appears laughable: Just this morning, Trump’s social media director Dan Scavino gleefully proposed to release video of Hillary Clinton’s concession call in order to hurt and humiliate her—and top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway laughed along with him.
No, this appears to be an attack on the integrity—not just of law enforcement—but of our defense against a foreign cyberattack on the processes of American democracy. The FBI was investigating the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russian espionage. Trump’s firing of Comey is an apparent attempt to shut that investigation down.
Whether that exactly counts as a confession of wrongdoing is a question that still deserves some withholding of judgment. Trump is impulsive and arrogant. His narcissistic ego needs to believe he won a great electoral victory by his own exertions, not that he was tipped into office by a lucky foreign espionage operation. He could well resent the search for truth, even without being particularly guilty of anything heinously bad. But we all now must take seriously the heightened possibility of guilt, either personal or on the part of people near him—and of guilt of some of the very worst imaginable crimes in the political lexicon.
Now comes the hour of testing. Will the American system resist? Or will it be suborned?
The question has to be asked searchingly of the Republican members of Congress: Will you allow a president of your party to attack the integrity of the FBI? You impeached Bill Clinton for lying about sex. Will you now condone and protect a Republican administration lying about espionage?
Where are you? Who are you?
The question has to be asked of every Trump law-enforcement appointee: In 1974, Elliot Richardson resigned rather than fire the investigator of presidential wrongdoing. Why are you still on your job? Where are your resignations?
The question has to be asked of every national-security official: It’s a lot more probable today than it was yesterday that the chain of command is compromised and beholden in some way to a hostile foreign power. If you know more of the truth than the rest of us, why are you keeping it secret? Your oath is to the Constitution, not the person of this compromised president.
The question has to be asked of all the rest of us: Perhaps the worst fears for the integrity of the U.S. government and U.S. institutions are being fulfilled. If this firing stands—and if Trump dares to announce a pliable replacement—the rule of law begins to shake and break. The law will answer to the president, not the president to the law.
Will you accept that?
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Trump's minions are out this morning lying their asses off. Another day in Trump's America.
This article is written by a conservative by the way - the establishment GOP speechwriter , pundit, and author, David Frum.
the establishment GOP speechwriter , pundit, and author, David Frum.
A speechwriter has little motive to present the truth on either side . He is motivated to get public attention by presenting controversies ...
Nice try John, Frum is a butt sniffing Hillary supporter that has been anti Trump from day one.
Frum has been critical of Donald Trump and has stated that he voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election .
Frum has been critical of Donald Trump and has stated that he voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election .
Most sane people of all political parties are critical of Donald Trump.
Frum, like David Gergen, is one of those guys who figured out he can make himself a rich man by being a "Republican" who is always available to criticize other Republicans. the Mainstream Media eats that up.
It is a very rational and logical possibility.
Who can sincerely believe that President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey for any reason other than to thwart an investigation of serious crimes? Which crimes—and how serious—we can only guess.
Exactly. This is not a right or left issue. This is a pro or anti-American issue.
I will add 2 cent here with what is only my opinion.
I agree with blue about an agency being needlessly politicized by either side , and the FBI has the distinction of being the priemier investigative authority charged with basically only getting to the truth, the actual facts , irregardless of whatever political flavor happens to be in power. and because of that there has to be a certain amount of trust that agency has to maintain.
Comey I think , and from what I see as head of the FBI lost the trust of those on both sides of the political spectrum at different times and for different reasons , some of which we may never fully know. thus a perception of politicizing of an agency , that cannot afford that.
I take his dismissal ( firing ) as a result of his own actions over the past year, resulting in the questioning of the trust placed in the position , and as a way to salvage whatever trust remains in the agency to remain non partisan. But I will wait and see what unfolds in the days to come winnowing through the partisan spin that inevitably occurs.
I think from here on out , the only roll Comey should fill is as a material witness, he has nothing left to lose really, but as it is said , be very careful what one wishes for, you just might get it, but not in a way one wishes . The man served 2 different administrations so far, I wonder what secrets he actually really has that some people don't want to be seen by the light of day.
Mark,
Its not his dismissal that is the problem It is the timing and the reason given that are suspicious. No person can possibly believe that he fired him for his actions the he praised him for that were seen as being against Hillary Clinton. If he was going to fire him for that, then why didn't he fire him for it at the reception he had on January 22th, instead of blowing kisses to him as he did (and he did)? Then there is the timing. Former AGA Sally Yates had just testified in front of the Senate in a session that was devastating for the White House. Also Subpoenas had just been issued from a Grand Jury in Virginia in the case against General Flynn. Also Director Comey had just requested additional assets and funding to expand the investigation. The water was getting very hot in the White House and sneaking up around Trump's neck. This was the act of a desperate man. However all it did was to cause more trouble for him then it will help. He just made his problems a lot worse, because now many of the more patriotic Republicans are getting more angry.
He just guaranteed that the Russian story is hung around his neck forever.
I will admit, trumps timing is about as good as a $10 truck stop lot lizard looking at a chromed trailer hitch.....
MSNBC is reporting the the only news agency allowed into Trump's meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov was the Russian news agency TASS.
The very first and most logical explanation to come to mind is that Trump is attempting to thwart investigations into his ties with Russia. Even after reading many different opinions and thinking things through, that is till the most plausible explanation for firing Comey.
If it looks like dog shit, and smells like dog shit...
You guys are being mean. Donald Trump has compassion for the terrible treatment that Hillary Clinton endured by the former Director of the FBI.
Had Hillary been elected, she would have fired Comey on January 21st, and the Democrats would have been dancing on his grave. In her own words, she posited that, had it not been for Comey, she would have been elected. While that point is open to speculation, after Comey's move in July and then October, he would have been gone. This is irrefutable.
Despite Comey's termination, whatever investigations are going on at the FBI are still going on.
This will blow over rather quickly.
Another brick in the wall.
Nothing about Trump will ever blow over Jonathan, but keep hoping.
Democracy is slowly being strangled by the Republicans lack of patriotism and the Democrats lack of tolerance. We now have someone who imo is so corrupt sitting in the White House with the temperament of a 4 year old and the intelligence to match. He has surrounded himself with either "yes men" or those with more nefarious goals other than having the largest attended inauguration address.
I am troubled by the complete denial coming from the right and how blind they continue to be on how each of these actions are slowly chipping away at our freedom.
What is the Democrats lack of tolerance you are worried about? PC? Most overblown topic there is.
Comey is not the investigation, ( that congressional Democrats admit has found nothing thus far) and the FBI is not Comey.
The investigation will continue without Comey, who probably had zero role in the day to day work that is still being performed.
Try and wait for some actual facts other before going into hysterics.
The real problem here is that politics has sunk to the level of a hillbilly feud where positions are taken by shouting "if yer fer it, then I'm agin it." In this idiotic feud, both sides made Comey a political football and then have the gall to complain that he politicized his position.
Comey got thrust into the limelight because Hillary set up a private sever to avoid the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and congressional inquiries. When her shenanigan was ultimately exposed, it triggered an FBI criminal investigation. Although Hillary was under investigation, she continued to run for president. Bill took the opportunity to sneak aboard the Attorney General's plane to discuss (according to him) everything but Hillary. The Attorney General, recognizing that she had been caught in a compromising position, made Comey the fall guy by saying that she would defer to Comey on whether Hillary is indicted. Comey gave his recommendation publicly in order to avoid people guessing on his rationale. Democrats jumped all over him because his public statement (rather than Hillary's own actions) imperiled Hillary's campaign. Comey ended up testifying before Congress where he stated that Hillary's case was closed but, in response to a direct question, promised to advise Congress if he reopened the matter. He subsequently found information that was not previously turned over to the FBI so he reopened the investigation and informed Congress (when he reopened it). If he had waited until after the election and the information had been damaging to Hillary, then he would have been excoriated. But given the hyper partisan state of the political feud, he would be excoriated no matter what he did.
Now Trump has fired Comey because of how he handled Hillary. Of course that's ridiculous because Trump earlier praised Comey for doing what he know claims warrants condemnation. But the Democrat's earlier position on Comey gives Trump cover because it's hard to fault Trump for doing exactly what they said he should do. The role of a fall guy is to take a fall so down he goes.
The Russian investigation is, to me, all smoke no fire. There's nothing wrong with talking to the Russians; talking is not collusion. And, although the media ignores it, Putin has a perfectly good reason for embarrassing Hillary that has absolutely nothing to do with Trump. In 2011, Hillary claimed that Putin won the election by rigging it. The statement led to public unrest in Russia. What better way to get back at her than to expose Hillary actually attempting to rig the democratic primary? Still, if there's evidence of collusion, it should be brought to light . . . if someone has the backbone to do it after Comey got his head lopped off for trying to do his job.
In a perfect world, I would give Comey a medal and abolish political parties. But because we are far from perfect, an honest man is fired and the scoundrels remain.
People like you want to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, which is just silly. He has been corrupt all his life. Now he has more opportunities and more power.
People like you want to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, which is just silly. He has been corrupt all his life.
What's silly is putting corrupt people in office (Hillary or Trump) and removing the ones with integrity.
"People like you want to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, which is just silly. He has been corrupt all his life. Now he has more opportunities and more power."
change the name from trump to Hillary and that statement would still be true with one exception , hillarys opportunities and actual power are now very limited , if they matter at all anymore.
An alternative, for the less conspiracy minded:
The structure was this: The FBI director reported to the deputy attorney general, who reported to the attorney general, who reported to the president. When Trump fired Comey Tuesday afternoon, that chain of command had been in place for all of 14 days.
First, it took a long time to get an attorney general in office. Facing Democratic opposition, Jeff Sessions, one of the president’s first nominees, was not confirmed by the Senate until Feb. 8.
Then, it took a long time to get a deputy attorney general in place. Rod Rosenstein, the deputy — and the man who wrote the rationale for axing Comey — faced similar Democratic delays and was not sworn in until April 26.
Only after Rosenstein was in place did the Trump team move ahead. That was true not only for chain-of-command reasons but also — probably more importantly — because Rosenstein had the bipartisan street cred to be able to be the point man in firing Comey. Even though his confirmation was delayed, Rosenstein was eventually confirmed by the Senate by a 94 to 6 vote, meaning that the vast majority of Democratic senators voted for him along with all of the Republicans.
The author, Byron York, is a reporter with exceptional Republican sources.
Who can sincerely believe that President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey for any reason other than to thwart an investigation of serious crimes?
No one of any rational thinking mind. That is why it is a cover up only. It is the desperate act of a desperate man. It won't work. The walls are closing in on him no matter what he does and he is growing more and more paranoid by the minute. No one is above the law. Even though he thinks he is, he will find out otherwise.