Donald Trump has continued his attack on Democrat leaders – including Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi – who criticized his shock decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.
Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on Democrat leaders who criticized his shock decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.
The president posted a tweet on Wednesday night taking aim at those across the aisle from him, as the scandal surrounding Comey’s dismissal continued to grow.
Trump’s tweet read, ‘The Democrats should be ashamed. This is a disgrace! #DrainTheSwamp, ‘ and featured a short two-minute video.
The clip was made by splicing together short sound-bytes and presenting them without dates or context.
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It started by showing Bernie Sanders – who is an Independent – calling for Comey to resign, while the words, ‘Democrats, What Changed?’ were splashed across the screen.
Harry Reid was next in the video, before eventually Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Tim Kaine, Jerry Nadler, and Maxine Waters had also been flashed up.
Trump’s video then featured clips from media outlets – some which he has blasted as ‘fake news’ on previous occasions – where hosts advocated for Comey being sacked.
The short video included: a picture of a Wall Street Journal editorial written in January, a Meet The Press segment where host Chuck Todd said Comey should go, and audio of Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough saying the Director was done.
The video ended by showing dated but unattributed anti-Comey quotes from Pelosi, Schumer, Kaine, Representative Hank Johnson, and Representative Tim Walz
It was the latest in a string of attacks Trump tried to fire at his political opponents since the dismissal, as he attempted to portray the prominent Democrats who have spoken out against Comey’s firing as hypocritical.
‘The Democrats have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!’ he tweeted Wednesday morning.
He also wrote: ‘Dems have been complaining for months & months about Dir. Comey. Now that he has been fired they PRETEND to be aggrieved. Phony hypocrites!’
In another tweet, the president claimed he will appoint someone better than Comey to the role.
‘Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!’ the message read.
Trump’s attacks on Comey were echoed by the White House on Wednesday, with deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasting the recently-ousted official during a briefing.
She accused the ex-FBI boss of ‘essentially (taking) a stick of dynamite and throwing it into the Department of Justice’ by holding his infamous press conference about the FBI’s decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton .
Sanders – filling in for press secretary Sean Spicer, who is on Naval reserve duty – also accused Comey of committing ‘atrocities’ in his conduct.
The word is usually reserved for the worst actors on the world stage.
‘Having a letter like the one that he received and having that conversation that outlined the basic atrocities in circumventing the chain of command at the department of justice, ‘ Sanders said, required the president to act.
Sanders said Comey’s conduct amounted to going ‘around the chain of command’ and ‘is simply not allowed.’
Meanwhile, Comey instead opted to take the high road in a farewell letter he sent to staff.
Comey adopted a diplomatic tone in his letter that emerged on Wednesday night.
‘I have long believed that a President can fire an FBI Director for any reason, or for no reason at all, ‘ the farewell note began.
‘I’m not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed. I hope you won’t either. It is done, and I will be fine, although I will miss you and the mission deeply.
‘I have said to you before that, in times of turbulence, the American people should see the FBI as a rock of competence, honesty, and independence. What makes leaving the FBI hard is the nature and quality of its people, who together make it that rock for America.’
Comey closed out the letter in emotional fashion, saying: ‘Working with you has been one of the great joys of my life. Thank you for that gift.’
