There Are Only Two Theories Why Trump Fired Comey. One Means Trump's Right. The Other Means He'll Be Impeached.
Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images
With President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, the political world
has exploded into wild accusations and counter-accusations of corruption and
bias. Amidst all the hubbub, the “why” behind Comey’s firing boils down to two
theories. Only one can be correct. If it’s the first theory, Trump did the right thing
and Democrats are using the firing to make political hay in scurrilous fashion.
If it’s the second, Trump may be on his way to impeachment.
has exploded into wild accusations and counter-accusations of corruption and
bias. Amidst all the hubbub, the “why” behind Comey’s firing boils down to two
theories. Only one can be correct. If it’s the first theory, Trump did the right thing
and Democrats are using the firing to make political hay in scurrilous fashion.
If it’s the second, Trump may be on his way to impeachment.
Theory #1: Trump Fired Comey For Incompetence. This is the most obvious
answer as to why Comey was fired. Multiple letters from administration members
suggest that Trump was told over and over again that Comey needed to go.
That’s for a variety of reasons (less than a week ago, I called for
Comey’s firing myself).
answer as to why Comey was fired. Multiple letters from administration members
suggest that Trump was told over and over again that Comey needed to go.
That’s for a variety of reasons (less than a week ago, I called for
Comey’s firing myself).
1. Comey never should have issued his July 2016 exoneration of Hillary
Clinton. If he thought she shouldn’t be prosecuted, he should have made
that recommendation and shut up. Instead, he felt the necessity to protect
Attorney General Loretta Lynch and supposedly the FBI, and so he spilled
the beans on the myriad reasons she should have been prosecuted,
demonstrated that he had rewritten the law to protect Hillary, and then
let her off the hook. This necessitated Comey appearing before Congress
to explain himself, and pledging to keep them updated.
Clinton. If he thought she shouldn’t be prosecuted, he should have made
that recommendation and shut up. Instead, he felt the necessity to protect
Attorney General Loretta Lynch and supposedly the FBI, and so he spilled
the beans on the myriad reasons she should have been prosecuted,
demonstrated that he had rewritten the law to protect Hillary, and then
let her off the hook. This necessitated Comey appearing before Congress
to explain himself, and pledging to keep them updated.
2. Comey issued the infamous October 28 letter informing Congress that the
FBI had uncovered new emails in the Anthony Weiner investigation. The letter
itself was a bombshell that rocked the Hillary campaign just days out from a
presidential election. Comey then rushed the turnaround so that he could
exonerate her again a couple of days before the election, but according to
the Democrats, Comey was now responsible for electing Trump.
FBI had uncovered new emails in the Anthony Weiner investigation. The letter
itself was a bombshell that rocked the Hillary campaign just days out from a
presidential election. Comey then rushed the turnaround so that he could
exonerate her again a couple of days before the election, but according to
the Democrats, Comey was now responsible for electing Trump.
3. Comey appeared before Congress to explain himself, and instead made an
ass of himself. He even misstated the evidence regarding Huma Abedin,
necessitating that the FBI inform Congress.
ass of himself. He even misstated the evidence regarding Huma Abedin,
necessitating that the FBI inform Congress.
In short, Comey had lost both the trust of the Trump administration and the
trust of the public. There was no reason not to fire him. That’s what Deputy
Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stated in his letter to Attorney General
Jeff Sessions calling for Comey’s firing: “I cannot defend the Director’s
handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton’s
emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal
judgment that he was mistaken…The FBI is unlikely to regain public and
congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of
the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them.”
trust of the public. There was no reason not to fire him. That’s what Deputy
Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stated in his letter to Attorney General
Jeff Sessions calling for Comey’s firing: “I cannot defend the Director’s
handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton’s
emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal
judgment that he was mistaken…The FBI is unlikely to regain public and
congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of
the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them.”
Theory #2: Trump Fired Comey To Stop The Russia Investigation. Then
there’s the alternative theory: Trump knows that he’s connected to the Russian
election manipulation, and he’s afraid that Comey would have gotten to the
bottom of it. To kill the investigation, he offed Comey. This is the case the
Democrats are making today, calling for the appointment of a special
prosecutor. Idiots like Bill De Blasio of New York are saying that this is
Nixonian, a sort of soft Saturday Night Massacre. Democrats are
universally condemning Comey’s firing, even though just days ago they
were calling for it. That’s hypocrisy and dirty politics, of course. And Trump
hasn’t named an interim director (the current guy below Comey is apparently
a Democrat) or said that the investigation will be shut down — at the very
least, it will be difficult for him to ram through a patsy who will kill the
investigation at this point.
there’s the alternative theory: Trump knows that he’s connected to the Russian
election manipulation, and he’s afraid that Comey would have gotten to the
bottom of it. To kill the investigation, he offed Comey. This is the case the
Democrats are making today, calling for the appointment of a special
prosecutor. Idiots like Bill De Blasio of New York are saying that this is
Nixonian, a sort of soft Saturday Night Massacre. Democrats are
universally condemning Comey’s firing, even though just days ago they
were calling for it. That’s hypocrisy and dirty politics, of course. And Trump
hasn’t named an interim director (the current guy below Comey is apparently
a Democrat) or said that the investigation will be shut down — at the very
least, it will be difficult for him to ram through a patsy who will kill the
investigation at this point.
With that said, here’s the Democrats’ strongest case that something fishy is
going on.
going on.
1. The timing of the firing is weird. They’re stating that Trump could have fired
Comey for his election conduct right after he took office. This is obviously
correct. The counterargument, that Attorney General Sessions recused
himself from the Trump-Russia investigation and that Rosenstein was only
confirmed in his position 13 days ago, is belied by the fact that Sessions
himself weighed in on Comey’s firing, stating, “Based on my evaluation,
and for the reasons expressed by the Deputy Attorney General in the
attached memorandum, I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at
the leadership of the FBI.”
Comey for his election conduct right after he took office. This is obviously
correct. The counterargument, that Attorney General Sessions recused
himself from the Trump-Russia investigation and that Rosenstein was only
confirmed in his position 13 days ago, is belied by the fact that Sessions
himself weighed in on Comey’s firing, stating, “Based on my evaluation,
and for the reasons expressed by the Deputy Attorney General in the
attached memorandum, I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at
the leadership of the FBI.”
2. Trump won’t shut up about Russia. The firing comes the day after Trump
tweeted incessantly about the Trump-Russia investigation and openly
called for it to be shut down. He also changed the header on his Twitter
account to deny any collusion with Russia, an odd move to say the least.
And then he dropped this line in his letter firing Comey, which smacks
of "the lady doth protest too much":
tweeted incessantly about the Trump-Russia investigation and openly
called for it to be shut down. He also changed the header on his Twitter
account to deny any collusion with Russia, an odd move to say the least.
And then he dropped this line in his letter firing Comey, which smacks
of "the lady doth protest too much":
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.
3. Trump fired Comey the day after the left latched onto former acting Attorney
General Sally Yates’ testimony pinning all the Democrats’ Trump-Russia
conspiracy theories on the FBI investigation. Trump had tweeted out the
testimony of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who
said he had no information linking the Trump campaign to collusion with
Russia; Yates immediately stated that Clapper wasn’t in the loop on the
FBI investigation. It all comes down to the FBI investigation for the Left,
and Trump just fired the director in charge of the investigation.
General Sally Yates’ testimony pinning all the Democrats’ Trump-Russia
conspiracy theories on the FBI investigation. Trump had tweeted out the
testimony of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who
said he had no information linking the Trump campaign to collusion with
Russia; Yates immediately stated that Clapper wasn’t in the loop on the
FBI investigation. It all comes down to the FBI investigation for the Left,
and Trump just fired the director in charge of the investigation.
Trump isn’t going to appoint a special prosecutor. Not the day after he
tweeted this:
tweeted this:
That means this situation will continue to boil, Congress will continue to
probe, and Trump will continue to fulminate. At the very least, this is the
most amazing season of The Apprentice yet.
probe, and Trump will continue to fulminate. At the very least, this is the
most amazing season of The Apprentice yet.
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