[Beren]

Trump fires FBI director James Comey

Associated Press May 9, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday, saying it was necessary to restore "public trust and confidence" in the nation's top law enforcement agency following several tumultuous months.

"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," Trump said in a statement.

The White House said the search for a new FBI director was beginning immediately.

The White House made the stunning announcement shortly after the FBI corrected a sentence in Comey's sworn testimony on Capitol Hill last week. Comey told lawmakers that Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, had sent "hundreds and thousands" of emails to her husband's laptop, including some with classified information.

On Tuesday, the FBI said in a two-page letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that only "a small number" of the thousands of emails found on the laptop had been forwarded there while most had simply been backed up from electronic devices. Most of the email chains on the laptop containing classified information were not the result of forwarding, the FBI said.

Comey, 56, was nominated by President Barack Obama for the FBI post in 2013 to a 10-year term. Praised for his independence and integrity, Comey has spent three decades in law enforcement and has been no stranger to controversy.

Hillary must be satisfied!

[mikema63]

And after he got trump a whole country for his birthday.

[SpecialOlympian]

Trump's letter is fucking hilarious:

"You're fired and NO I was NEVER under investigation just thought I should mention that for no readily apparent reason."

[quetzalcoatl]

Never let it be said the Trump administration has no sense of humor. Trump fires Comey for being mean to Hillary...trolling the entire US. The true reason for the firing, as everyone knows, is to permanently end the FBI investigations into the Trump-Russia affair. The bar for impermissible behavior is now so high, this is very likely to succeed.

[Beren]

It's a turbulent presidency for sure!

Wow, what a signature the Donald has!

Trump fires Comey for being mean to Hillary

[mikema63]

I think it says "salala hurumph" but it's hard to say.

[quetzalcoatl]

Wow, what a signature the Donald has!

It's actually the Life Functions Critical graphic from 2001.

[Beren]

[Saeko]

I think it says "salala hurumph" but it's hard to say.

It might be written in Russian.

[Suntzu]

Trump's letter is fucking hilarious:

"You're fired and NO I was NEVER under investigation just thought I should mention that for no readily apparent reason."

Bet Comey ain't laughing.

[mikema63]

[Zag Note: Rule 2, off topic]

[Philby]

I like your style (sig wise) Beren!!!

On topic, I think that no one believes the Don anymore. The first 100 days have been disastrous and now this. I hope he don't think he gets his ego (electorate) back with getting into war with North Korea.

[mikema63]

Oh totally, the closet cases always get around the most.

There were a lot of better ways for trump to marginalize comey without martyring him and bringing down lots of attention on it. Of course his instinct is always to do the most entertaining thing.

[Ben Hoffman]

Trump's letter is fucking hilarious:

"You're fired and NO I was NEVER under investigation just thought I should mention that for no readily apparent reason."

Trump wanted Comey to come out and say, "Donald Trump is doing a tremendous job and has no ties to Russia. No ties at all. He doesn't even know where Russia is located and has never heard of Vladimir Putin. Hillary did it."

[Beren]

There were a lot of better ways for trump to marginalize comey without martyring him and bringing down lots of attention on it. Of course his instinct is always to do the most entertaining thing.

Now he's labelled as a Nixonian who abuses his power.

[Pants-of-dog]

....except Nixon was a capable and cunning politician who got things done. Trump, not so much.

[quetzalcoatl]

Now he's labelled as a Nixonian who abuses his power.

But it will remain a label only. Unlike Watergate, there will be no Republicans who will bolt from the reservation. The Democrats don't have the numbers, and even if they did, it would be useless. Any action against Trump by the Democrats will be perceived as partisan. Trump is home free on this one.

[Beren]

....except Nixon was a capable and cunning politician who got things done. Trump, not so much.

Although I think he is more like Johnson, here is an article calling Trump a Nixonian: The GOP isn't the party of Reagan. It's the party of Nixon.

But it will remain a label only. Unlike Watergate, there will be no Republicans who will bolt from the reservation. The Democrats don't have the numbers, and even if they did, it would be useless. Any action against Trump by the Democrats will be perceived as partisan. Trump is home free on this one.

Now I can really imagine Trump is a one-term president like Johnson was. Maybe he won't even run for a second term as well.

[Drlee]

T

he bar for impermissible behavior is now so high, this is very likely to succeed.

Correct. It will succeed. It is disgusting but it will succeed. IF by some miracle the dems took the house and senate (and they will not) at the mid terms then Trump is even safer. They would must have a wounded Trump under their guns than an ideologue like Pence.

The next thing will be to hamstring the federal courts. The coup is almost over.

[Ben Hoffman]

Turns out that Comey was fired for not pursuing an indictment against Hillary last year. That angered pretty much the entirety of Trump's supporters.