Tuesday night, President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, purportedly over his handling of the investigation over Hillary Clinton’s emails. Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump campaign ties with Russia.
In his letter to Comey, Trump wrote he greatly appreciated “you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation” but was firing him anyway. Trump did not detail why he and Comey were discussing an ongoing investigation into his campaign.
CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin was gobsmacked that the Trump administration would try to justify the firing based on actions Comey took last year. “This is just the most preposterous pretext,” Toobin said. “This is an investigator who is investigating the White House, and he was just fired by the White House. This doesn’t happen in the United States, except on October 20, 1973, when Richard Nixon fired Archibald Cox.”
Cox was special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal, and when Nixon fired him, it was known as the “Saturday Night Massacre,” because both the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General also resigned rather than obey Nixon’s order to fire him.
Toobin went on to say that Comey’s successor will be a “stooge who will shut down the investigation.”
Jeffrey Toobin on bringing in future FBI director: "They will put in a stooge who will shut down this investigation" https://t.co/4NKlopbAOr
— CNN (@CNN) May 9, 2017
The ACLU condemned Trump’s actions, saying the firing “raises serious alarm bells for our system of checks and balances.”
The @aclu condemns @realDonaldTrump's firing of FBI director James Comey https://t.co/2wCMLmxNsw pic.twitter.com/GnSO6nByaW
— Militia Etheridge (@MaryEmilyOHara) May 9, 2017
Lawmakers were also shocked, with many calling for a special prosecutor to continue an independent investigation of the Trump administration:
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA):
.@RepAdamSchiff: "the White House is brazenly interfering in a criminal matter.” pic.twitter.com/BCUCwSbGrJ
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) May 9, 2017
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY):
Special prosecutor is "only way to go to restore American people's faith," Schumer says. "Are people going to suspect cover-up? Absolutely." pic.twitter.com/rCo6urJMdi
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ):
NEW: McCain "disappointed" in Comey firing, praises him as a "man of honor and integrity," dlls for special cmte to investigate Russia pic.twitter.com/hOi7pccxEb
— Tim Mak (@timkmak) May 9, 2017
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN):
Bob Corker on Comey: "His removal at this particular time will raise questions." pic.twitter.com/Ujcjm1xFWd
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) May 9, 2017
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT):
Bernie Sanders: "We need an independent investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.”
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) May 9, 2017
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN):
Rep. Keith Ellison: "We are witnessing a Constitutional crisis unfold before our very eyes" https://t.co/U01kiwLKIM pic.twitter.com/kE4lRrsAgH
— lowkell (@lowkell) May 9, 2017
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA):
Wow, @SenBobCasey:
"This is Nixonian. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein must immediately appoint a special counsel…"
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) May 9, 2017
Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT):
BREAKING: Sen. Patrick Leahy's REAX To President Trump's Firing Of FBI Director James Comey pic.twitter.com/N6gpSsvMgg
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) May 9, 2017
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT):
Firing of #Comey compromises investigation of White House ties to Russians – no doubt now special prosecutor is necessary.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 9, 2017
Ensuring credibility and faith in non-political FBI requires appointment of independent special prosecutor. #Comey
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 9, 2017
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR):
Flag: Sen. Ron Wyden wants Comey testify in an open hearing about the status of Trump-Russia investigation at the time he was fired. pic.twitter.com/oObNsODKol
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 9, 2017
Sen Jeff Merkley (D-OR):
In case the need for an independent special prosecutor to investigate #TrumpRussia ties wasn’t clear enough already… it sure is now. https://t.co/G3yoovqi0a
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) May 9, 2017
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ):
Now it's even more important that an independent special counsel is appointed to investigate the Russian interference in our elections. pic.twitter.com/WcoxtbfSyW
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 9, 2017
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA):
JUST IN: MA Senator Ed Markey releases statement on firing of FBI director James Comey. #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/RRQP7Yjq4M
— David Rothstein (@TheDRnews) May 9, 2017
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA):
Rep. Eric Swalwell on Comey: "This is not what an innocent person would do…" pic.twitter.com/P6bwgvvUSb
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 9, 2017
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY):
No more excuses: We need an independent special prosecutor to investigate the Trump Administration’s ties to Russia.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) May 9, 2017
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI):
Scary and unprecedented. At some point we are going to need patriotic republicans to stand up for our republic.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) May 9, 2017
Lots of justified confusion and outrage. We need to be prepared to come back together, regardless of party, and take our democracy back.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) May 9, 2017
The arguments against establishing a Special Prosecutor were weak in the first place. They have now evaporated.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) May 9, 2017
We are in a full-fledged constitutional crisis.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) May 9, 2017
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA):
"I didn't think this administration could surprise me anymore," Sen. Mark Warner says. "Today, they surprised me." https://t.co/Okz2bwUl4f pic.twitter.com/GSWRWShFY6
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD):
"The president fired the one independent person who was doing the most to investigate" Trump-Russia ties, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) says pic.twitter.com/mzyTavDyzP
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA):
We need a real, independent prosecutor who @realDonaldTrump can't fire, Sessions can't intimidate, & Congress can't muzzle. We need it now.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 9, 2017
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV):
Cordes: "Do you agree that it was a 'Nixonian' move?"
Manchin: "I'm old enough to remember… & it didn't come out so well for Pres. Nixon." pic.twitter.com/ZHC8WfuoCD— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017