On the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, President Donald Trump fired beleaguered FBI director James Comey on Tuesday, citing the way he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mails.
Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017
“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau,” the president wrote in a letter to Comey.
The Department of Justice Inspector General’s office had been investigating Comey over the emails and other issues. Democrats criticized him for re-opening the investigation just before the election. Many blame Comey for Clinton losing to President Trump.
Fox News noted that some of the same Democrats who castigated Comey are calling foul on the firing.
Clinton’s former campaign manager Robby Mook wrote “Twilight zone. I was as disappointed and frustrated as anyone at how the email investigation was handled. But this terrifies me.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the canning of the Bush-appointed FBI director “a big mistake.”
Hillary, Schumer, Maxine Waters & the DNC blamed #Comey for their 2016 loss.
Shouldn’t they be thanking President Trump for #ComeyFiring?
— Jessie Jane Duff (@JessieJaneDuff) May 10, 2017
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi questioned whether Comey was in the right job during the campaign after Comey embarrassed Clinton by re-opening the investigation. But it looks like she changed her tune.
“The President’s sudden and brazen firing of the FBI Director raises the ghosts of some of the worst Executive Branch abuses.”
Whoops: @colbertlateshow audience cheers news that @realDonaldTrump fired James Comey before Colbert corrects them https://t.co/dV6YiMIJNO pic.twitter.com/WC7sgKo04n
— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) May 10, 2017
Featured photo credit: Fox News video screenshot