Politics Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit

WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter, but ultimately backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the directive.

The West Wing confrontation marks the first time Mr. Trump is known to have tried to fire the special counsel. Mr. Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice.

Amid the first wave of news media reports that Mr. Mueller was examining a possible obstruction case, the president began to argue that Mr. Mueller had three conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation, two of the people said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/us/politics/trump-mueller-special-counsel-russia.html

 

That best part is he suddenly switches over to a car crash.

 

I don't know or pretend to know the power dynamics of the Executive Branch.

But I wouldn't consider myself the leader (or Commander, as it were) of a team or unit if I couldn't impose discipline, reward, hire or fire. Was any of that warranted in this case? No idea. But let's stop with the notion that the President firing who he doesn't like is either a) illegal, b) unprecedented or c) some testament to character. Even if there was no animus, in the words of Eric Holder "Elections matter", and gov't officials not deemed to be part of the team have been purged most of my adult life. And if you've somehow offended the President?

Ask General McChrystal how long you keep your job if you piss off the President, justified or not.

I would've personally fired Comey, for instance, the day that his "memo" came out, were I in a position to do so. I try not to dig in to the inner workings of DC very much, but it's getting harder every day.

 

The obstruction of justice by Nixon was suborning of perjury of witnesses. Specifically, he offered the judge overseeing the prosecution of Daniel Ellsberg the job as FBI director. He also made false or misleading public statements. These things specifically cited by the articles of impeachment (which were never enacted).

Nixon did not attempt to obstruct justice, he actually did so.

 

Wasn't he already fired by the time anyone outside the FBI knew there were memos?

barfo

 

The justification to fire Comey was his admission under oath that he bypassed protocols and kept information from the attorney general and DoJ.

It's insubordination. Cause for firing.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...the-u-s-has-responded/?utm_term=.f802216cf1ce

February 2013: Kim Jong Un, then newly in power, conducts his first nuclear test as leader. The test was far larger than earlier experiments, with experts estimating that the bomb was between six and seven kilotons. The test coincided with South Korea's national elections and Obama's State of the Union address.



2011-2016 would be the reign of the emperor who wore no clothes.

 

Too bad that wasn't why Trump fired him.

barfo

 

It is why he fired him.

Too bad for you.