Donald Trump continued to rage on about former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe on Sunday, two days after McCabe’s unceremonious and vicious firing by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The firing took place one day before McCabe was set to retire.
McCabe released a lengthy statement shortly after his firing, which is a must-read.
On Sunday, Trump pushed back on an AP report that McCabe took memos about his conversations with Trump similar to notes taken by fired former FBI Director James Comey, and submitted those memos to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Tweeted Trump: “Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don’t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975346628113596417
On Sunday, Axios reported that Mueller’s team interviewed McCabe and asked about Comey’s firing.
Trump’s tweet followed two other McCabe related tweets:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975062797162811394
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/974859881827258369
Trump also raged on about the Mueller probe, as his lawyer John Dowd called for an end to it.
Said Dowd to CNN: “I pray that Acting Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe’s boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt dossier
Tweeted Trump: “As the House Intelligence Committee has concluded, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump Campaign. As many are now finding out, however, there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State. #DrainTheSwamp”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975057131136274432
He later tweeted: “The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975163071361683456
And continued on Sunday morning: “Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added…does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975350027169206273
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on McCabe’s firing during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union: “I think we owe it to the average American to have a hearing in the Judiciary Committee where Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions comes forward with whatever documentation he has about the firing, and give Mr. McCabe the chance to defend himself…I believe when it comes to this issue we need as much transparency as possible to make sure it wasn’t politically motivated.”
Graham also vowed to protect Robert Mueller, warning Trump not to fire Mueller: “As I said before, if he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency…The only reason that Mr. Mueller could be dismissed is for cause. I see no cause when it comes to Mr. Mueller.”
Democrats are speaking out as well:
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called on his colleagues to “speak out now” and not wait for the possible “crisis” of Trump firing Mueller.
“I think, George [Stephanopoulos], you just pointed to the single most important development of the week and that is at the same time it’s revealed that the special counsel is looking at business records of the Trump Organization, and I’ve always thought the money laundering issue was the most serious, you have the president through his lawyer trying to shut down the Mueller investigation and speaking out against special counsel,” Schiff told ABC’s “This Week.”
McCabe has been offered a job by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) so that he might keep his pension:
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) announced Saturday afternoon that he has offered McCabe a job to work on election security in his office, “so that he can reach the needed length of service” to retire.
“My offer of employment to Mr. McCabe is a legitimate offer to work on election security,” Pocan said in a statement. “Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy and both Republicans and Democrats should be concerned about election integrity.”
McCabe is reportedly considering the offer.
Reaction to McCabe’s firing has been strong:
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) said the firing looked “like retribution and a bit vindictive.”
Dent added: “And I think it’s unfortunate. The man said he’s resigning, you know, and on a Friday night before his 50th birthday he’s fired to take away his pension? I don’t like the optics of this, I really don’t.”
Nicolle Wallace, a former senior aide to former President George W. Bush, called the firing “a complete disgrace,” tweeting: “The fix was in from Donald Trump when he tweeted 90 days ago his threat about McCabe’s pension. This is a complete disgrace. Sure to exacerbate concerns among ‘the generals’ about his conduct in office.”
The fix was in from Donald Trump when he tweeted 90 days ago his threat about McCabe’s pension. This is a complete disgrace. Sure to exacerbate concerns among “the generals” about his conduct in office.
— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) March 17, 2018
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said on Friday that McCabe’s firing was reminiscent of Nixon’s Saturday night massacre: “This’ll be known as the ‘Friday Night Slaughter.’ The very idea that Jeff Sessions hasn’t released something to inform the public of what this is, it was done in sort of a cloak of secrecy late at night, bizarre fashion. The fact that he was about to have his pension and they couldn’t let it go. It’s something very cruel and sad that’s occurred tonight. And I hope our country is going to wake up, I mean, Donald Trump is struggling for his life. He’s paranoid, he decided McCabe was too close to Comey, and he decided to get rid of anybody and anything that’s standing in his way of kind of survival mode right now. I think that we can say tonight that the Trump White House is at war with the FBI.”
Former CIA director John Brennan attacked Trump for the firing in a tweet on Saturday morning, saying: “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America…America will triumph over you.”
When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America…America will triumph over you. https://t.co/uKppoDbduj
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) March 17, 2018
Former Attorney General Eric Holder urged officials at the Department of Justice to stay strong, warning that “it will get worse.”
Tweeted Holder: “I said about 8 months ago that the actions and integrity of the men & women at DOJ/FBI would be unfairly questioned. It’s happening. And it will get worse. Be prepared, be strong. You have the support of millions committed to truth, justice and the defense of this nation”
I said about 8 months ago that the actions and integrity of the men & women at DOJ/FBI would be unfairly questioned. It’s happening. And it will get worse. Be prepared, be strong. You have the support of millions committed to truth, justice and the defense of this nation
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) March 18, 2018
