Exclusive: Trump pressed Sessions to fire 2 FBI officials who sent anti-Trump text messages

[DonViejo]

Source: Vox



Trump also asked Attorney General Sessions and FBI Director Wray to find derogatory information on the officials, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.

By Murray Waas Apr 20, 2018, 9:20am EDT

President Donald Trump sharply questioned Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray during a White House meeting on January 22 about why two senior FBI officials — Peter Strzok and Lisa Page — were still in their jobs despite allegations made by allies of the president that they had been disloyal to him and had unfairly targeted him and his administration, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

The president also pressed his attorney general and FBI director to work more aggressively to uncover derogatory information within the FBI’s files to turn over to congressional Republicans working to discredit the two FBI officials, according to the same sources.

The very next day, Trump met Sessions again, this time without Wray present, and even more aggressively advocated that Strzok and Page be fired, the sources said.

Trump’s efforts to discredit Strzok and Page came after Trump was advised last summer by his then-criminal defense attorney John Dowd that Page was a likely witness against him in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice, according to two senior administration officials. That Trump knew that Page might be a potential witness against him has not been previously reported or publicly known.

Read more: https://www.vox.com/2018/4/20/17258230/trump-sessions-fire-fbi-officials-strzok-page-text-messages

[machoneman]

1. Well, if anything, this bolsters Comey's statement that Trumpenstein demanded 'loyalty' to him....

personally and the Constitution be damned!

[Doodley]

2. Fascism 101 - remove all those in law enforcement who do not worship and adore the dictator.

[C_U_L8R]

3. Vainglorious sociopath

What a petty slimeball

[GusBob]

4. Does the Dotard ever press the AG, the DOJ, the FBI to ever go after real criminals?

This shit, and the Comey memos, is all about politics....does he ever discuss things like terrorism with federal justice folks?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. No, because then that means he would have to have them arrest himself.

I don't think he wants that to happen.

[Lil Missy]

7. No, they are his "loyal" friends!

[NewJeffCT]

13. we're still waiting for his promised policy to combat opioids

wasn't Kellyanne Conway the Czar of Opioids?

[Grins]

5. How is that any different from Nixon using the FBI, the CIA, and the IRS?

&quot Trump) pressed his attorney general and FBI director to work more aggressively to uncover derogatory information (about Strzok and Page) within the FBI’s files to turn over to congressional Republicans working to discredit (them)."

How is that any different from Nixon using the FBI, the CIA, and the IRS to go after his "enemies"? And he came the closest in a more than a century of being impeached and charged.

[OldHippieChick]

9. I don't think anyone is saying this is

different. Nixon was bad. Cheeto is bad. We just need to be always vigilant and aware.

[procon]

8. Hard to believe Trump grew up in America and has lived in a democracy his

whole life. Listening to him speak, reading his policies, the laws he has proposed, his ideas to change the whole country, Trump comes across more like an authoritarian despot recently enthroned in some African province or a tyrant who just ousted the last one in some tiny Banana Republic.

[PatSeg]

12. It is probably because

he lived in his own little bubble, where he could be a tyrant and get away with it. He is so self-absorbed, he appears to be unaware of the world around him, except when it affects him.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. Vindictive asshole isn't he?

[NewJeffCT]

14. thin skinned and vindictive

Nixon was thin skinned, but Trump looks Nixon look like the Clintons or the Obamas in comparison (Hillary/Bill and Barack/Michelle have endured tons of abuse with grace and class over the years...)

[paleotn]

11. If I'm not mistaken....

firing them for what they stated politically would be wrongful termination under federal employment rules.