Fired. But Not Finished

The FBI director is gone, but the investigation into Trump’s Russia ties may intensify

“Not since Watergate have our legal systems been so threatened”

- Steven T. Dennis, Margaret Talev, and Chris Strohm

Within hours of abruptly firing FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, May 9, President Trump faced a blowback of criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans over his decision to remove the man in charge of investigating his campaign’s possible ties to Russia. As news of Comey’s dismissal rippled across Washington, questions mounted over the impact it will have on congressional and FBI probes into Russia’s role in the 2016 election, with Democrats increasing their calls for a special prosecutor to be named. It also sets the stage for a bruising battle to get Comey’s successor through Senate confirmation.

Trump took to Twitter to defend the move. “The Democrats have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. “James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.”

The move struck a nerve in Washington—the head of the FBI isn’t just another presidential appointee. The bureau is supposed to be shielded from politics, its director serving a 10-year term and expected to have independence wherever investigations lead—including the Oval Office. In the aftermath, Democrats began making comparisons to Richard Nixon’s 1973 firing of the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. “Not since Watergate have our legal systems been so threatened and our faith in the independence and integrity of those systems so shaken,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat, in a statement. Trump “has catastrophically compromised the FBI’s ongoing investigation of his own White House’s ties to Russia.”