Reports: Trump Admin Has Been Seeking A Reason To Fire Comey Since Last Week

President Donald Trump announces the approval of a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the $8 billion project, Friday, March 24, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
FILE - In a Friday, March 24, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump announces the approval of a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. President Trump on Sunda... FILE - In a Friday, March 24, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump announces the approval of a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. President Trump on Sunday, March 26, attacked conservative lawmakers for the failure of the Republican bill to replace Barack Obama's health care law as his aides pledged to court moderate Democrats on upcoming initiatives from health care to tax cuts. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump’s administration spent at least a week before former FBI Director James Comey’s abrupt termination on Tuesday looking for a reason to fire him, according to reports by the New York Times and CNN.

The New York Times reported, citing unnamed administration officials, that senior officials at the White House and Department of Justice were at work “building a case” against Comey for at least the last week. Those officials also told the New York Times that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was ordered to find a reason to terminate Comey.

CNN’s Jeff Zeleny said it was “a very closely kept secret” at the White House.

“I am told only a handful of top advisers knew this was coming,” he said. “But I am told just moments ago that the President himself has been considering this, been thinking about this for at least a week.”

Zeleny said Trump “did not necessarily have the rationale” to fire Comey when he first began discussing the possibility “but then asked the attorney general and the deputy attorney general to look for that rationale and that explanation.”

 

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: