Dem Senator Denounces Wray’s Resignation: He Should’ve ‘Stayed And Fought’

A handful of Democrats on Capitol Hill criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday for announcing he would resign from his position before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, caving to pressure after Trump announced his nomination of extremist Kash Patel to lead the FBI.

“I think his resignation is a result of raw political pressure repugnant to our criminal justice system,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told TPM on Thursday on his way to the Senate floor. “I personally would have preferred that he stayed and fought. I would have refused to resign. It’s a threat to the independence and integrity of our justice system.”

Wray’s resignation announcement came just days after it became clear Trump intended to fire Wray after he announced Kash Patel as his nominee for FBI director when he takes office in the new year.

“I think for the rank and file FBI, his decision to resign prematurely, under pressure, is tantamount to abandonment,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) told CNN on Thursday. “Abandonment of the FBI and abandonment of them and their protections, exposing them to a political purge.”

And Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) told TPM he is “disappointed but not surprised” by Wray’s decision.

FBI Directors are appointed to 10-year-terms largely as a way to insulate them from political pressures. Therefore, Trump’s plan to appoint Patel as director would have only come to fruition if Wray voluntarily stepped down before his term ended in 2027 or if Trump forced him out by firing him. Trump previously fired then-FBI Director James Comey when he took office in 2017. 

But not all Democrats who spoke to TPM Thursday came out with a forceful condemnation of Wray’s decision to resign instead of forcing Trump’s hand.

Padilla dismissed the question of whether Wray should have waited for Trump to fire him, calling it a “personal decision.”

Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) both suggested there’s not much to say on Wray’s announcement as he already “made his decision.”

“He’s made the announcement. I think he’s decided that he doesn’t want to be a distraction. That’s a decision that he has made,” Warnock told TPM in the Senate basement on Thursday.

He added that “the issue at this point is the President’s nominee.”

Hirono expressed the same sentiment.

“I think what we should focus on is not only the next FBI nominee, but all the other Trump nominees, and whether they have the … experience and qualifications, besides 100% loyalty to Trump,” Hirono told TPM on her way to a vote.

Connolly also expressed concern over the possibility of Patel replacing Wray.

“Maybe Director Wray is right that by removing himself, he removes a target but he’s gonna be replaced with a partisan hack who has no real experience with the FBI or for that matter with our law enforcement at large,” Connolly said, during his CNN interview.

Warnock told TPM there are “many questions” around Patel’s nomination but that he will “wait for the opportunity to hear from him and to see how he responds.”

“I take seriously my role and responsibility to engage and advise and consent. The FBI is obviously so very important to our domestic tranquility and our national security. As the President’s various nominees are put in front of us, I look forward to having a hearty conversation about whether they are fit, whether they’re competent, and if this is somebody we can trust with such an important part of our national security,” he added.

Meanwhile Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) did not comment on questions about Wray’s decision to retire before Trump could fire him.

When asked about the announcement, Sanders let out a displeased, “no comment,” before walking away.

“I’m dealing with five or six major issues right now. His timing is not one of them for me,” Wyden told TPM softly, before moving onto other questions from other reporters circled around him.