President Obama appointed James Comey the FBI Director in 1913. He was into a 10-year term. The director was addressing his office employees when a TV screen in the background flashed the news that the president had dismissed him. Perhaps, Comey, had it coming as he was investigating the Russian connection.
Donald Trump probably was apprehensive that the director would pull a rabbit out of the hat and implicate him or his staff in the Russian connection. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suggested that Comey is sacked.
Trump acted with alacrity on the recommendations and promptly fired the FBI director.
This reminded of the sacking in the middle of the night, by President Nixon of the independent special prosecutor. At that time Richard Nixon was under investigation for the Watergate scandal. The parallels are ominous. Richard Nixon was later impeached. The sacking of the FBI director takes place with immediate effect.Trump's adviser Kellyanne Conway has said that the president has lost confidence in the director.
The reason given for the removal of the director is his handling of the emails scandal of Secretary Hillary Clinton. It must be pointed out that earlier Trump had praised Comey as a "gutsy" fellow.
Removal of FBI director
The removal of the James Comey was a stunning move. It is a first in the history of the FBI. No director has been removed earlier. Only once Bill Clinton had to remove the FBI director, but that was for an entirely different reason. Donald had thanked the director for informing him that he was not under investigation.
However, the president must have been apprehensive about the outcome of the FBI investigation. The situation had been compounded by Jeff Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation. In the present scenario, Donald Trump thought it would be a good idea to remove James Comey as the FBI director.
The sacking and future
The news of the sacking has not gone down well with the press and opposition Democratic party. The sacking comes in the wake of the FBI investigation into the connection of Trump's team with Russia.
Many opponents of Donald Trump in the GOP are also not happy with the firing of the director. Senator John McCain has called for a concerted investigation into the Russian connection in the light of the firing of James Comey. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Republican Richard Burr has called the dismissal "troubling." One will have to wait and see how the events unfold in the future.
