FBI Agents Are Stunned by the Scale of the Expected Trump Purge
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Seasoned members of the nation’s top law-enforcement agency are bracing for a mass expulsion as the president roots out anyone he sees as disloyal to him.
This afternoon, FBI personnel braced for a retaliatory purge of the nation’s premiere law-enforcement agency, as President Donald Trump appeared ready to fire potentially hundreds of agents and officials who’d participated in investigations that led to criminal charges against him.
A team that investigated Trump’s mishandling of classified documents was expected to be fired, four people familiar with the matter said. Trump has long fumed about that investigation, which involved a raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate that turned up hundreds of classified documents he had taken after he left the White House four years ago.
David Sundberg, the head of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, is also being fired, these people added. Sundberg is a career FBI agent with more than two decades of experience, and he oversees some of the bureau’s most sensitive cases related to national security and counterintelligence. Current and former officials told me they are worried that those investigations could stall, at least temporarily, if a large number of agents are suddenly removed. A spokesperson at the Washington Field Office declined to comment.
Trump’s retribution is not limited to those who investigated him personally. Administration officials are reviewing records to identify FBI personnel who participated in investigations of the January 6 assault on the Capitol by his supporters, people familiar with the matter told me. That could potentially involve hundreds if not thousands of agents, including those who interviewed and investigated rioters who were later prosecuted. Shortly after taking office, Trump pardoned about 1,500 of the rioters and commuted others’ sentences.
There is no precedent for the mass termination of FBI personnel in this fashion. Current and former officials I spoke with had expected Trump to exact retribution for what he sees as unjust and even illegal efforts by the FBI and the Justice Department to investigate his conduct. But they were stunned by the scale of Trump’s anticipated purge, which is taking aim at senior leaders as well as working-level agents who do not set policy but follow the orders of their superiors.
Read: Trump’s ‘deep state’ revenge
This afternoon, some FBI personnel frantically traded messages and rumors about others believed to be on Trump’s list, including special agents who run field offices across the country and were also involved in investigations of the former president.
Trump’s efforts to root out his supposed enemies might not withstand a legal challenge. FBI agents do not choose the cases assigned to them, and they are protected by civil-service rules. The FBI Agents Association, a nonprofit organization that is not part of the U.S. government, said in a statement that the reports of Trump’s planned purge are “outrageous” and “fundamentally at odds with the law enforcement objectives outlined by President Trump and his support for FBI Agents.”
The mass firings could imperil the nomination of Kash Patel, whom Trump wants to run the FBI in his administration. Just yesterday, Patel had assured senators during his confirmation hearing that the very kinds of politically motivated firings that appear to be in motion would not happen.
“All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” Patel told lawmakers. “Every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for case assignments.”
Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department, had likewise assured senators during her own hearing that government personnel would not be subject to political retaliation for doing their job.
Since taking office two weeks ago, Trump has issued executive orders aimed at his perceived enemies, including former intelligence officials . And he has pledged to end what he calls the “weaponization” of federal law enforcement. How exactly he plans to do that, and the degree to which his own self-interest informs his definition of weaponization , is now becoming clearer.
Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer contributed reporting to this article.
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If only they had kissed his ass , they would still have their jobs.
Because that's apparently what conservatives really want in a President, a vindictive asshole that demands fealty and ass kissing. I guess that's what makes a "strong" President in some folk's minds, though those minds must be very small or empty if they find ass kissing as a positive trait.
"So, what do you like about our President?"
"Well, I like that he makes everyone else kiss his ass if they want anything from him. Yeah, that's what we need in our leaders, conceited ass holes that demand ass kissing, they're the best and always do what's right for our nation, as long as our nation kisses their ass."
That's who Trump was before the election... and a majority of Americans voted for him. America voted for a fascist dictatorship.
Trump is showing that the presidency has too much unchecked power. In the past, other than Trump, we have had individuals who largely stayed within the lanes of convention. They operated as presidents, not as kings.
Not with Trump. He apparently is going to have fun with this. The electorate just gave the greatest possible toy to a vindictive, callous, irresponsible, malignant narcissist ... the power of the US presidency.
Sociopath works.
Here is the picture I offer as my example of a sociopath:
Oh ... a coincidence.
I hear rumor that Donald is quite charming in person when he wants to be. Also, he is manipulative. Those are psychopath features.
What really gets me is our country actually elected a 'predator' president. It really did that! We truly have no excuse for it.
It's hard to believe that we have a "Predator" for a president. This man really plans to harm his fellow Americans. "Unbelievable!"
He's a lame duck, with no legal constraints (dixit SCOTUS). He a narcissist. Put that together and OF FUCKING COURSE he's going to wreck everything.
That's who he is.
Until today.
I have no idea why they are shocked, he said what he was going to do, when a manic like Tump tell you he is going to do something, believe him,
He's going to end up needing better protection. Some crazy person will feel a calling.
Meanwhile, in his Senate confirmation hearing, Trump's nominee Kash Patel is promising there won't be a purge.
He is a big a liar as Trump.
Patel will say "he's the president he can do whatever he wants"
Yes John, that's how our system works. As the chief executive, the President is in charge of the FBI. Patel will report to him through Bondi (once confirmed).
Has a president purged a hundred FBI agents at a time before ?
There is nothing Trump will do that you wont approve of. It is whack.
Where did I say I approve? It's not even clear what's he done.
What is indisputable is that Trump, as the Chief Executive, is in charge of the executive branch, of which the FBI is part. It's also indisputable that Patel had nothing to do with this as he's not been confirmed and has no actual role in the FBI. Even if he had been confirmed, he cannot prevent trump from firing FBI agents.
For fucks sake just stop.
He's firing FBI agents and prosecutors who worked on his criminal cases. To start. Maddow says he plans to fire anyone who worked on any of the J6 defendant cases.
People like you put this maniac in office.
Maddow says
You know he's not sworn in and has no authority right?
Hard for Patel to do anything right now since he is not even on the job yet and really does not have much say in what happens right now.
In other words he is a Trump puppet.
I did not say that at all. Please don't put words in my mouth.
How can he "puppet" if he is not even in office yet?
The POS democrats won't hold a vote because they know he will get confirmed.
How much of a broken country do Americans want? We will see. I hope "you" like your new President. . . he likes to fire people! Feel safe yet, America? Conservative enough for you yet?
Ending good people careers and ruining their lives on some humbug personal bs is UNSAT. It should not be tolerated. Are we free people able to choose our own destinies among many offered or tied to the teat of a man -America?!
Trump has hit the ground running on taking down the people who have the power to check him. Toadies will be their replacements. You will lose your leverage! You will lose it!
Where is the Outrage?
Americans' security and safety is going to be seriously degraded. Let's get rid of all of the knowledgeable and experienced professionals and replace them with maga drones.
I am just going to say it, this is MAGA wanting to dominate the country (again as in the past (before 1950)). To that end, they will not lift a finger to end Trump's abuse of progress for all. It's a rush to return to the past! And some poor, ignorant, and foolish democrats have played into this with their votes for Trump. MAGA will take them 'in' as long as they do not expect to receive or change anything from MAGA's perspective and worldview.
How does one pledge to "end" an undesirable practice by engaging in it? How is weaponizing his new authority to fire his political enemies (or worse, those who worked for them), any better than their alleged usage of their previous authority to target him? Somebody needs to put his rational and reasonable big boy pants on.
Trump is not now and maybe not ever has been a reasonable man. This man wants power and control over others. It's a shame too, because most of us came up being taught to be kind, considerate, and generous as the way to bring 'strangers' together. What we did not see is the selfish/self-interests people growing along beside us—festering and waiting to metastasize with designs on taking over the whole of us.
Once upon a time, there were safeguards built into the systems of this country which would have protected the country. But, now we can see just how easily those can be manipulated by a menace to society. Trump is being given PERMISSION by the other two branches of government to take 'OWNERSHIP' of America!
And the American people are sitting on their wretched butts UNCONCIOUS to it happening. Prevention is worth a pound of cure! When we are stuck with Trump, like Russia is with Putin or Syria's Assad. . . it will be the people's fault! For they lulled themselves into thinking they could manage a 'madman/strongman.' That is not ever as easy as one would expect it to be.
Now, we will have to 'go and see' what the end of this odyssey will be. What we will become by journey's end.
Yes. And he has surrounded himself with people who want power and control over others. They were elected to install a fascist, patriarchal, plutocratic dictatorship. That's what they will do.
This country has elected its very own presidential. . .
So just leave them in place and allow their BS to continue?
What good does that do?
I don't remember a whole lot of FBI agents coming forward to speak out against what Brandon, Garland, and Wray were having them do- turning the FBI into a puppet of the Democrats. The ones that did come out as whistle blowers were fired with leftist's blessings.
Frankly, it is past time to clean house. The next 4 years had better not be like the previous 9.
If Democrats are scared some of their dirty laundry will get aired in subsequent investigations of the practices of the DOJ and FBI- I will quote a phrase leftists always repeated to me when I bitched about Obama's data mining every last US citizen. "If you did nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about".
Of course Trump is a former Democrat; and he is fluent in their practices. Maybe the Democrats do have something to be worried about after all.
Hungary here we come.
More hyperbole BS.
You (all leftists for that matter) had no problem with the weaponization of the FBI, CIA, IRS, and DOJ against Democrat's opponents.
Quit pretending like this country hasn't had a two tier justice system for the last nine years.
Either the law applies equally to everyone or no one. Democrats/leftists are scared shitless it will now apply to them.
Trending on twitterX tonight -
"WTF IS GOING ON"
This is what happens when political parties refuse to curb their instincts and passions. One side or the other pushes the other too far. Now we await the 'bottoming out' of the system. Either it will sink or swim. God help the country if both political sides decide to fight literally.
Maybe the country will wake up when there are tanks on the streets of America. Not hyperbole. Not hyperbole.
Trump is personalizing our federal government and people (with the power to stop this) are sitting on their deaf and dumb butts doing nothing about it: until it is too late!
How is it OKAY to have a predator as president of the United States? People, Wake up! This man is ruining Americans lives. He is intentionally dividing us farther and wider. Where is the outrage?