Trump On Intel Community IG Firing: ‘That Man Is A Disgrace To IGs’

President Donald Trump listens to questions in the White House press briefing room with members of the Coronavirus Task Force on April 3, 2020. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump addressed his Friday night firing of the inspector general for the intelligence community Michael Atkinson, calling him a “disgrace to IGs.”

“I thought he did a terrible job — absolutely terrible,” Trump said at the Saturday coronavirus task for press briefing.

Atkinson alerted Congress to the whistleblower’s complaint, touching off the inquiry that led to the President’s impeachment.

Calling the complaint “fake,” Trump expressed his outrage that he never met Atkinson in person.

“He never even came into see me,” he said indignantly. “How can you do that without seeing the person?”

Trump quickly segued into bashing the whistleblower himself, whose identity he claimed that reporters in the press briefing room knew.

“Frankly, somebody ought to sue his ass off,” Trump said.

The President sent letters to the Senate and House Intelligence Committee leadership Friday night, announcing that Atkinson would be removed in 30 days. He said that he would put forward a new nominee for Senate confirmation “at a later date.”

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. The President sent letters to the Senate and House Intelligence Committee leadership Friday night, announcing that Atkinson would be removed in 30 days. He said that he would put forward a new nominee for Senate confirmation “at a later date.”

    Does anyone have the twelfth of never free on their calendar?

  2. Just not the ones we’re hoping for. Oh well only the good die young and all that.

  3. Says the man who has disgraced the office of the Presidency since he was inaugurated.

  4. “I thought he did a terrible job — absolutely terrible,” Trump said at the Saturday coronavirus task for press briefing.

    Case in point that these #MagaVirusClownShows are nothing but political rallies for Trump.
    And why CNN and MSNBC should discontinue live coverage.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

121 more replies

Participants

Avatar for playitagainrowlf Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for navamske Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for wtaguy Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for lastroth Avatar for ottnott Avatar for dickweed Avatar for mrf Avatar for darrtown Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for rhs1963 Avatar for katscherger Avatar for kelaine Avatar for redhand Avatar for kenga Avatar for inthesedays Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for emiliano4 Avatar for dogselfie Avatar for kovie Avatar for Hatmama Avatar for gussmith

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