FBI Director James Comey’s firing by President Trump was swift and sudden. He initially thought his firing was a prank as the news of his removal played on TVs behind him at an FBI event in LA. But this was not the case. Trump cut ties with him so quickly, it even left some wondering how the former FBI Director would get back from the aforementioned diversity talk in Los Angeles. Luckily for Comey, he didn’t have to stick his thumb out and was able to hitch a ride back to Washington on a private jet.
Back home and a day removed from his termination, Comey has addressed his erstwhile co-workers with a rather touching letter, acquired by CNN:
To all:
I have long believed that a President can fire an FBI Director for any reason, or for no reason at all. 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.
It is very hard to leave a group of people who are committed only to doing the right thing. My hope is that you will continue to live our values and the mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. If you do that, you too will be sad when you leave, and the American people will be safer.
Working with you has been one of the great joys of my life. Thank you for that gift.
Jim Comey
With Comey gone, the questions of “why?” and especially “why now?” are on the minds of most. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have questioned the timing of the events, now Reuters has reported that Comey’s dismissal comes on the heels of him denying Trump a preview of his recent Senate testimony.
When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump’s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said.
“It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties.”
An official told Reuters that giving superiors a look at Congressional testimonies is considered an act of courtesy. So, to wrap up: Months ago, Trump was praising Comey’s handling of the Clinton email non-scandal, then he fires him, and says he handled the Clinton issue poorly, only for it to be reported that a lack of professional courtesy could’ve been the straw that bruised an ego and sent Comey out to pasture.